CVE-2025-49592 — MEDIUM (CVSS 5.4) AI Security Vulnerability

CISO Take

n8n's /signin endpoint allows attackers to craft URLs that redirect authenticated users to attacker-controlled lookalike domains, enabling credential and 2FA theft. Since n8n workflows typically store LLM API keys, database credentials, and integration tokens, a compromised n8n account exposes the entire AI automation stack. Upgrade to v1.98.0 immediately; no workaround is available without code changes.

Risk Assessment

CVSS 5.4 understates operational risk for n8n deployments. n8n instances are AI workflow hubs with privileged access to LLMs, vector databases, and internal APIs — credential theft via this phishing vector grants attacker control over the entire automation layer. Exploitation requires only low privileges and a social engineering step (sending a malicious link), making it accessible to moderately skilled attackers targeting organizations using n8n for AI agent orchestration.

Affected Systems

Package	Ecosystem	Vulnerable Range	Patched
n8n	npm	—	No patch
186.5K OpenSSF 6.0 16 dependents Pushed 6d ago 40% patched ~3d to patch Full package profile →

Do you use n8n? You're affected.

Severity & Risk

CVSS 3.1

5.4 / 10

EPSS

0.2%

chance of exploitation in 30 days

Higher than 39% of all CVEs

Source: EPSS v3 — FIRST.org

Exploitation Status

No known exploitation

Sophistication

Trivial

Attack Surface

AV Network

AC Low

PR Low

UI Required

S Changed

C Low

I Low

A None

Recommended Action

6 steps

Upgrade to n8n v1.98.0 or later — the fix enforces strict same-origin validation for redirect URLs.
If patching is delayed, restrict /signin access to trusted IP ranges via reverse proxy.
Audit authentication logs for login events followed by immediate logouts or anomalous session patterns.
Rotate all n8n-stored credentials (API keys, DB passwords) if phishing is suspected.
Enable SSO/SAML to reduce reliance on native n8n authentication.
Educate users: legitimate n8n will never redirect to an external domain post-login.

CISA SSVC Assessment

Decision Track

Exploitation none

Automatable No

Technical Impact partial

Source: CISA Vulnrichment (SSVC v2.0). Decision based on the CISA Coordinator decision tree.

Classification

Social Engineering Auth Bypass Agent Framework AML.T0008.002 - Domains AML.T0011.003 - Malicious Link AML.T0012 - Valid Accounts AML.T0049 - Exploit Public-Facing Application AML.T0052 - Phishing

Compliance Impact

This CVE is relevant to:

EU AI Act

Article 9 - Risk management system

ISO 42001

A.9.2 - AI system access control

NIST AI RMF

MANAGE 2.2 - Mechanisms to sustain and improve AI system security

OWASP LLM Top 10

LLM07 - Insecure Plugin Design

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-49592?

n8n's /signin endpoint allows attackers to craft URLs that redirect authenticated users to attacker-controlled lookalike domains, enabling credential and 2FA theft. Since n8n workflows typically store LLM API keys, database credentials, and integration tokens, a compromised n8n account exposes the entire AI automation stack. Upgrade to v1.98.0 immediately; no workaround is available without code changes.

Is CVE-2025-49592 actively exploited?

No confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2025-49592 has been reported, but organizations should still patch proactively.

How to fix CVE-2025-49592?

1. Upgrade to n8n v1.98.0 or later — the fix enforces strict same-origin validation for redirect URLs. 2. If patching is delayed, restrict /signin access to trusted IP ranges via reverse proxy. 3. Audit authentication logs for login events followed by immediate logouts or anomalous session patterns. 4. Rotate all n8n-stored credentials (API keys, DB passwords) if phishing is suspected. 5. Enable SSO/SAML to reduce reliance on native n8n authentication. 6. Educate users: legitimate n8n will never redirect to an external domain post-login.

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-49592?

This vulnerability affects the following AI/ML architecture patterns: agent frameworks, workflow automation, AI pipeline orchestration, LLM integration layers.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-49592?

CVE-2025-49592 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MEDIUM). The EPSS exploitation probability is 0.18%.

Technical Details

NVD Description

n8n is a workflow automation platform. Versions prior to 1.98.0 have an Open Redirect vulnerability in the login flow. Authenticated users can be redirected to untrusted, attacker-controlled domains after logging in, by crafting malicious URLs with a misleading redirect query parameter. This may lead to phishing attacks by impersonating the n8n UI on lookalike domains (e.g., n8n.local.evil.com), credential or 2FA theft if users are tricked into re-entering sensitive information, and/or reputation risk due to the visual similarity between attacker-controlled domains and trusted ones. The vulnerability affects anyone hosting n8n and exposing the `/signin` endpoint to users. The issue has been patched in version 1.98.0. All users should upgrade to this version or later. The fix introduces strict origin validation for redirect URLs, ensuring only same-origin or relative paths are allowed after login.

Exploitation Scenario

Attacker registers a lookalike domain (e.g., n8n.corp-internal.evil.com) and crafts a URL: https://legit-n8n.company.com/signin?redirect=https://n8n.corp-internal.evil.com. This is delivered to an n8n administrator via phishing email or Slack ('your session expired, re-authenticate'). The admin authenticates on the real n8n instance, is silently redirected to the lookalike site, and re-enters credentials. Attacker now controls the n8n instance with full access to all AI workflow automation including LLM API keys, agent configurations, and connected business systems.