GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw
GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw is a Path Traversal vulnerability in n8n. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
n8n: Path-Confinement Bypass in computer-use search_files Allows Reading Files Outside the Base Directory
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.
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 | 2.32.1 |
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 2.31.5 |
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 2.32.1 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
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-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw 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-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw. 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-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-pf2q-pxhf-hgmw across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.