n8n: Path-Confinement Bypass in computer-use search_files Allows Reading Files Outside the Base DirectoryGHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw
GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw is a Path Traversal vulnerability in n8n. A fix is available for n8n — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
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
The component @n8n/computer-use file-search tool confined searches to a configured base directory. A crafted search pattern could bypass the confinement check and expand to locations outside that directory, causing the tool to return the names and contents of files anywhere the daemon's OS user could read. Any deployment where an actor could influence the tool's search input was affected; the result was disclosure of arbitrary local files outside the intended sandbox.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.31.5 and 2.32.1. 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:
- Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.
- Disable or remove AI agent workflows that use the
computer-usepackage until the instance is patched. - Ensure the n8n process runs under a dedicated low-privilege user account to limit the files accessible outside the sandbox.
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 | ≥ 2.32.0&&< 2.32.1 | 2.32.1npm install n8n@2.32.1 |
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 2.31.5npm install n8n@2.31.5 |
Affected Products
n8nn8nDetection & 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 2.32.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.