CVE-2026-56350: n8n authenticated users can disable

CISO Take

n8n before 2.8.0 lets an already-authenticated, low-privileged SSO user call an internal API to turn off organization-wide SSO enforcement and then create a local username/password credential, letting them log in directly and sidestep the identity provider's MFA policy going forward. This isn't a remote-unauthenticated exploit — it requires attack complexity rated high and an existing valid account — but it directly undermines the control CISOs rely on to guarantee MFA everywhere, and n8n is increasingly used as an AI agent orchestration layer wired into other systems, so a persisted bypass account is a durable foothold rather than a one-time slip. The CVE carries no CISA KEV listing, no public exploit or Nuclei template, and a low EPSS score of 0.00258, so mass exploitation is unlikely, but the package already has 116 other CVEs on record and a mid-tier OpenSSF Scorecard (6.6/10), signaling a broader pattern of hardening gaps worth tracking. Patch to n8n 2.8.0 or later, audit SSO-enforcement settings and the local-credentials table for accounts created outside your IdP, and alert on any API calls that toggle SSO/enforcement flags going forward.

Sources: NVD EPSS GitHub Advisory OpenSSF ATLAS vulncheck.com

What is the risk?

Medium severity (CVSS 6.3) reflects a real but constrained risk: exploitation requires an existing authenticated low-privileged account and high attack complexity (AC:H), and there is no confidentiality or availability impact per the vector (C:N/A:N) — the damage is entirely to integrity (I:H) of the authentication/authorization model via CWE-285 (Improper Authorization). There is no CISA KEV entry, no public exploit code, and no Nuclei detection template, and EPSS is low (0.00258), so opportunistic mass exploitation is unlikely. The realistic risk is an insider or a low-privilege account taken over by phishing/credential stuffing using this flaw to entrench persistent access that survives IdP-side revocation or MFA changes, which is a high-value outcome for a patient attacker even if the initial bar to exploit is nontrivial.

How does the attack unfold?

Initial Access

Attacker obtains or already holds a valid, low-privileged n8n account issued through the organization's SSO.

AML.T0012

Exploitation

Attacker calls the vulnerable internal API to disable SSO enforcement for the n8n instance (CWE-285 improper authorization).

Persistence

Attacker creates a local username/password credential that bypasses the IdP and its enforced MFA.

AML.T0055

Impact

Attacker retains standing, MFA-invisible access to n8n workflows, stored credentials, and any agent/integration capabilities the account can reach.

AML.T0081

Initial Access

Attacker obtains or already holds a valid, low-privileged n8n account issued through the organization's SSO.

AML.T0012

Exploitation

Attacker calls the vulnerable internal API to disable SSO enforcement for the n8n instance (CWE-285 improper authorization).

Persistence

Attacker creates a local username/password credential that bypasses the IdP and its enforced MFA.

AML.T0055

Impact

Attacker retains standing, MFA-invisible access to n8n workflows, stored credentials, and any agent/integration capabilities the account can reach.

AML.T0081

What systems are affected?

Package	Ecosystem	Vulnerable Range	Patched
n8n	npm	—	No patch
201.9K OpenSSF 6.7 Pushed today 51% patched ~6d to patch Full package profile →

Do you use n8n? You're affected.

How severe is it?

CVSS 3.1

6.3 / 10

EPSS

0.3%

chance of exploitation in 30 days

Higher than 18% of all CVEs

Source: EPSS v3 — FIRST.org

Exploitation Status

No known exploitation

Sophistication

Moderate

What is the attack surface?

AV Network

AC High

PR Low

UI None

S Changed

C None

I High

A None

What should I do?

1 step

Upgrade to n8n 2.8.0 or later, which fixes the authorization gap on the SSO-enforcement API endpoint. As compensating controls until patched: restrict which roles/accounts can call instance-level SSO/security-settings APIs, review the current list of local (non-SSO) credentials for any created without a corresponding IdP-provisioning event, and enable audit logging on settings changes to the SSO-enforcement flag. Detection: alert on any API call that toggles SSO enforcement or creates a new local password credential outside your provisioning workflow, and periodically reconcile the n8n user/credential store against your IdP's user list to catch drift.

What does CISA's SSVC say?

Decision Track

Exploitation none

Automatable No

Technical Impact partial

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

How is it classified?

Auth Bypass Agent Framework AML.T0012 - Valid Accounts AML.T0055 - Unsecured Credentials AML.T0081 - Modify AI Agent Configuration

Which compliance frameworks are affected?

This CVE is relevant to:

EU AI Act

Article 15 - Accuracy, robustness and cybersecurity

NIST AI RMF

GOVERN 1.5 - Organizational policies address AI system risks including third-party/vendor risk

OWASP LLM Top 10

LLM08 - Excessive Agency

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-56350?

n8n before 2.8.0 lets an already-authenticated, low-privileged SSO user call an internal API to turn off organization-wide SSO enforcement and then create a local username/password credential, letting them log in directly and sidestep the identity provider's MFA policy going forward. This isn't a remote-unauthenticated exploit — it requires attack complexity rated high and an existing valid account — but it directly undermines the control CISOs rely on to guarantee MFA everywhere, and n8n is increasingly used as an AI agent orchestration layer wired into other systems, so a persisted bypass account is a durable foothold rather than a one-time slip. The CVE carries no CISA KEV listing, no public exploit or Nuclei template, and a low EPSS score of 0.00258, so mass exploitation is unlikely, but the package already has 116 other CVEs on record and a mid-tier OpenSSF Scorecard (6.6/10), signaling a broader pattern of hardening gaps worth tracking. Patch to n8n 2.8.0 or later, audit SSO-enforcement settings and the local-credentials table for accounts created outside your IdP, and alert on any API calls that toggle SSO/enforcement flags going forward.

Is CVE-2026-56350 actively exploited?

No confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2026-56350 has been reported, but organizations should still patch proactively.

How to fix CVE-2026-56350?

Upgrade to n8n 2.8.0 or later, which fixes the authorization gap on the SSO-enforcement API endpoint. As compensating controls until patched: restrict which roles/accounts can call instance-level SSO/security-settings APIs, review the current list of local (non-SSO) credentials for any created without a corresponding IdP-provisioning event, and enable audit logging on settings changes to the SSO-enforcement flag. Detection: alert on any API call that toggles SSO enforcement or creates a new local password credential outside your provisioning workflow, and periodically reconcile the n8n user/credential store against your IdP's user list to catch drift.

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-56350?

This vulnerability affects the following AI/ML architecture patterns: agent frameworks, workflow orchestration platforms, credential/secrets management within automation pipelines.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-56350?

CVE-2026-56350 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (MEDIUM). The EPSS exploitation probability is 0.26%.

What is the AI security impact?

Affected AI Architectures

agent frameworksworkflow orchestration platformscredential/secrets management within automation pipelines

MITRE ATLAS Techniques

AML.T0012 Valid Accounts

AML.T0055 Unsecured Credentials

AML.T0081 Modify AI Agent Configuration

Compliance Controls Affected

EU AI Act: Article 15

NIST AI RMF: GOVERN 1.5

OWASP LLM Top 10: LLM08

What are the technical details?

Original Advisory

n8n before 2.8.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability allowing authenticated SSO users to disable SSO enforcement through the API. Attackers can create local password credentials to authenticate directly, bypassing organizational SSO policies and identity-provider-enforced multi-factor authentication.

Exploitation Scenario

An attacker who already holds a valid but low-privileged n8n account issued via corporate SSO (e.g., a contractor, a phished employee, or an account obtained via credential stuffing on a related service) calls the vulnerable internal API to disable SSO enforcement for the n8n instance. They then create a local username/password credential directly in n8n. From that point on they authenticate with the local credential instead of going through the IdP, permanently bypassing the organization's MFA policy even if the original SSO account is later disabled, its password rotated, or its MFA re-enforced — giving them durable, policy-invisible access to any workflows, credentials, or AI-agent integrations that account can reach.

Weaknesses (CWE)

CWE-285 Improper Authorization Primary CWE-285 Improper Authorization

CWE-285 — Improper Authorization: The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

[Architecture and Design] Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries. Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
[Architecture and Design] Ensure that you perform access control checks related to your business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that you apply to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to the patient and the patient's doctor.

Source: MITRE CWE corpus.