GHSA-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f
GHSA-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in n8n. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
n8n: Instance AI Credential Setup Accepts Unvalidated Probe URL from Fetched Content
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f.
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
Instance AI credential setup accepted a credential test/verification URL without checking it matched the workflow node's origin. Exfiltration required the user to actively inject an attacker-controlled URL into the setup flow. The patch derives the credential destination from the node's own URL and confines authenticated requests, redirects and probes to that origin.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.38.2 and 2.37.7. 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:
- Disable the Instance AI module by removing
instance-aifrom theN8N_ENABLED_MODULESenvironment variable if it is not required. - Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.
- Rotate any third-party API credentials that were set up using the Instance AI credential-setup flow on affected versions.
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 | ≥ 2.38.0&&< 2.38.2 | 2.38.2 |
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 2.37.7 |
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 2.38.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f 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-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f 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-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f. 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-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-q5wm-mgqx-fv2f across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.