Your Workflow Automation Tool Just Became an Attack Vector: n8n RCE (CVE-2025-68613)
CVE-2025-68613 (CVSS 9.9) is actively exploited. CISA KEV deadline is today. 24,700+ exposed n8n instances. Patch now or risk full remote code execution.
Critical Action Required: If you run n8n and have not patched to version 1.120.4, 1.121.1, or 1.122.0, your host is at risk of full remote code execution by any authenticated user. CISA’s remediation deadline for federal agencies is today, March 25, 2026. SMBs should treat this with the same urgency.
CVE-2025-68613 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in n8n, the open-source workflow automation platform widely used by small and mid-sized businesses to connect apps, automate processes, and build internal tools without writing custom code. The National Vulnerability Database rates it CVSS 9.9 out of 10. It is being actively exploited. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, which means real attackers are hitting real systems right now.
This is not a theoretical research finding. If you have n8n exposed and unpatched, you have a problem.
What the Vulnerability Is
n8n uses an expression evaluation engine to let users inject dynamic values into workflow nodes — things like {{ $json.email }} or date transformations. The vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker to inject malicious expressions that escape the expected evaluation context and execute arbitrary code directly on the host running the n8n process.
The attack chain is straightforward: log in, craft a workflow node with a malicious expression, trigger it. At that point, the attacker is executing code with whatever privileges the n8n process holds. In many self-hosted SMB deployments, that means root or a highly privileged service account. The attacker owns the box.
The “authenticated attacker” qualifier sounds reassuring until you think about it clearly. n8n is commonly deployed with:
- Shared team credentials where any one compromised user opens the door
- Weak or default passwords on self-hosted instances
- Instances accessible over the internet without IP restrictions
- API keys distributed broadly across internal tooling
Authentication is a speed bump here, not a barrier.
The Exposure Numbers
As of this writing, more than 24,700 n8n instances remain unpatched and internet-accessible. That figure comes from active scanning data and represents a large pool of soft targets for opportunistic attackers running automated exploitation scripts against the KEV catalog.
If your n8n instance is reachable from the internet — even on a non-standard port — assume it has been scanned. The question is whether it has been exploited.
What This Means for Your Business
n8n sits at the center of internal operations for many SMBs. It connects your CRM to your billing system, pulls data from APIs, sends alerts, and moves records between applications. That means a compromised n8n host has network adjacency to a wide range of internal services, credentials stored in workflow configurations, and the ability to exfiltrate or manipulate data across connected systems.
An attacker who gains RCE on your n8n host does not stop there. They read the workflow configs to extract API keys, database credentials, and webhook secrets. They pivot from the n8n server to adjacent systems on the same network. They establish persistence. What starts as a workflow automation compromise becomes a full network intrusion.
The blast radius scales directly with how central n8n is to your operations. The more integrations you have, the worse the potential outcome.
Remediation Steps
The fix is available. n8n released patched versions addressing this vulnerability. There is no reason to remain on an affected version.
Step 1: Identify Your Version
Check your running n8n version:
n8n --version
# or if running via Docker:
docker exec <container_name> n8n --version
Any version below 1.120.4 is vulnerable.
Step 2: Patch Immediately
Update to one of the following patched releases:
- 1.120.4 (patch release on the 1.120.x branch)
- 1.121.1 (patch release on the 1.121.x branch)
- 1.122.0 (latest stable)
If you’re running n8n via npm:
npm update -g n8n
If you’re running via Docker, pull the updated image and redeploy your container:
docker pull n8nio/n8n:latest
docker stop <container_name>
docker rm <container_name>
# redeploy with your existing run command or compose file
If you manage n8n through a self-hosted configuration with a pinned version, update that pin explicitly to 1.122.0 or the appropriate patch release.
Step 3: Restrict Access While You Patch
If patching cannot happen immediately, reduce exposure now:
- Block public internet access to your n8n instance at the firewall or load balancer level
- Require VPN access to reach the n8n UI
- Rotate all credentials stored in n8n workflow configurations as a precaution
- Review n8n user accounts and remove any accounts that should not have access
Step 4: Check for Indicators of Compromise
If your instance was publicly accessible before you patched, investigate before assuming you’re clean:
- Review n8n execution logs for unexpected workflow runs, particularly any involving expression evaluation on unusual data
- Check system logs on the n8n host for unexpected processes, outbound connections, or new user accounts
- Audit credentials stored in your n8n workflows — if any appear in breach data or show unexpected usage, rotate them immediately
- Look for new cron jobs, modified startup scripts, or dropped binaries on the host
If you find evidence of compromise, do not just patch and move on. Isolate the host, preserve logs, and work through a proper incident response process. A patched compromised server is still a compromised server.
Sources and References
The following primary sources were used for this post:
- NVD Entry for CVE-2025-68613 — National Vulnerability Database, NIST
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- n8n Release Notes — official patch changelog
Bottom Line
This vulnerability is critical, actively exploited, and trivial to remediate. Patch today. If you cannot patch today, restrict access today and patch tomorrow. There is no version of “we’ll get to it next sprint” that makes sense given the current exploitation activity and the CVSS score.
If you are not sure whether your organization runs n8n — ask your IT team or managed service provider. Shadow IT deployments of tools like this are common in SMBs, and “I didn’t know we had it” is exactly the kind of gap attackers count on.
If you want a second set of eyes on your n8n deployment, your network exposure, or your overall vulnerability management posture, Security Medic Consulting can help.