GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r
CRITICALGHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) CWE-1321 vulnerability in n8n. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
n8n has XML Node Prototype Pollution that to RCE
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.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, a proxy for how much of the ecosystem is exposed.
n8nnpmDescription
Impact
An authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could achieve global prototype pollution via the XML Node leading to RCE when combined with other nodes exploiting the prototype pollution.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Limit workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users only.
- Disable the XML node by adding
n8n-nodes-base.xmlto theNODES_EXCLUDEenvironment variable.
These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | n8n | ≥ 2.18.0&&< 2.18.1 | 2.18.1 |
| 📦npm | n8n | ≥ 2.17.0&&< 2.17.4 | 2.17.4 |
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 1.123.32 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for n8n. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update n8n to 2.18.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r. 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-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-hqr4-h3xv-9m3r across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.