n8n before versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 contains a permission bypass vulnerability in external secrets handling caused by a mismatch between the static validation check and the runtime expression engine. An authenticated user with credential create or update permissions but without the externalSecret:list scope can embed external secret references into credentials in forms the static validation does not detect; these references resolve at workflow execution time, exposing secret values the user is not authorized to access. This issue only affects instances where an external secrets provider is configured and Advanced Permissions are in use.
CVE-2026-59259
MEDIUMPre-NVD 6.06.0
EchelonGraph scoreLOW confidence
This medium-severity CVE scores 6.0 under the CNA's CVSS (NVD's own analysis pending). EPSS exploit-prediction score not yet available (the EPSS model rescores nightly; freshly-published CVEs typically appear within 48 hours). GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
Triggered by: NVD CVSS baseline
Sources: cna:vulncheck
6.0
EchelonGraph verdictMonitorLow exploitation likelihood right now — keep watching.
- Lower severity and no public exploit yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS: —CVSS: 6.0Exploit: NoneExposed: 0
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 6.0
- EG Score
- 6.0(low)
- EPSS
- —
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
July 15, 2026
Last Modified
July 15, 2026
Advisory Details (2)
Auto-updated Jul 15, 2026Patch available. Sources: github.
generic
n8n - Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch in External Secrets | Advisories | VulnCheck
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secretsgithub Patch Available
External Secrets Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch · Advisory · n8n-io/n8n · GitHub
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qmVendor Advisories for CVE-2026-59259(1)
These vendors published their own advisory mentioning this CVE — often with vendor-specific remediation steps + affected product lists not in NVD.
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 2× in last 7d / 2× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-07-15 11:55 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-07-15 11:54 UTCMITRE cvelistV5first tracked
Related CVEs(same CWE)
Same CWE
10 shownCWE-639
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- CVE-2019-25487EG 9.8EPSS 94%CRITICAL
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- CVE-2020-16088EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2019-15310EG 9.8EPSS 94%CRITICAL
- CVE-2020-11658EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2019-15913EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2019-16340EG 9.8EPSS 97%CRITICAL
- CVE-2019-13360EG 9.8EPSS 98%CRITICAL
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2026-59259?
CVE-2026-59259 is a medium vulnerability published on July 15, 2026. n8n before versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 contains a permission bypass vulnerability in external secrets handling caused by a mismatch between the static validation check and the runtime expression engine. An authenticated user with credential create or update permissions but without the…
When was CVE-2026-59259 disclosed?
CVE-2026-59259 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on July 15, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-59259?
CVE-2026-59259 has a CVSS v3 base score of 6.0 (NVD). The EG score is currently aggregating — additional source signals are being incorporated as they become available..
How do I remediate CVE-2026-59259?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2026-59259, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.
Dependency Blast Radius
Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2026-59259
Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2026-59259?
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