GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-693 vulnerability in n8n. A fix is available for n8n — see the affected versions and patch details below.
n8n has a Python sandbox escape
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
n8nnpmDescription
Impact
A vulnerability in the Python Code node allows authenticated users to break out of the Python sandbox environment and execute code outside the intended security boundary.
Only authenticated users are able to execute code through Task Runners.
This issue affected any deployment in which the following conditions were met:
- Task Runners were enabled using
N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true(default: false) - Python was enabled
N8N_PYTHON_ENABLED=true - Code Node was enabled (default: true)
In case the N8N_RUNNERS_MODE is set to external (default: internal) the sandbox escape is limited to the sidecar container with lower risk for lateral movement. In that case a lower high severity is more appropriate.
Patches
This vulnerability is fixed in version 2.4.8 and later.
Workarounds
If an immediate upgrade cannot be applied, the following hardening steps are recommended:
- Disable the Code Node by adding
n8n-nodes-base.codeto theNODES_EXCLUDEenvironment variable - Prefer external mode for isolation: run Task Runners in external mode so that untrusted task code executes in a separate sidecar container rather than within the main n8n process. This configuration significantly reduces the risk of in-process memory disclosure caused by unsafe buffer allocations.In external mode, a launcher manages Task Runner processes in a dedicated sidecar environment, separate from the primary n8n instance. See the [n8n documentation](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/task-runners/) for configuration details and required environment variables.
Resources
- n8n Documentation — Task Runners — external mode, setup guide, and environment configuration details
- n8n Documentation — Blocking nodes — how to globally disable specific nodes
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 2.4.8npm install n8n@2.4.8 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for n8n, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update n8n to 2.4.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-8398-gmmx-564h across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.