{"id":"CVE-2026-85166","title":"n8n before 2.35.4 and 2.36.x before 2.36.2 does not validate credential references in the inline workflow JSON of nodes that execute an inline sub-workflow (e.g., the Workflow Tool node)","summary":"n8n before 2.35.4 and 2.36.x before 2.36.2 does not validate credential references in the inline workflow JSON of nodes that execute an inline sub-workflow (e.g., the Workflow Tool node). A shared-workflow editor, or any user creating/up…","severity":"medium","cvss":6.5,"cvssVector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N","cwe":["CWE-863"],"vendor":"n8n","product":"n8n","affected":["n8n < 2.35.4","n8n >= 2.36.0, < 2.36.2"],"patched":["n8n 2.36.2"],"published":"2026-09-03","updated":"2026-09-10","sourceUpdated":"2026-09-10T19:54:12.750","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85166","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-4r56-g65c-fm83","label":"disclosure@vulncheck.com"},{"url":"https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-before-2.36.2-credential-exfiltration-via-workflow-tool-node","label":"disclosure@vulncheck.com"}],"tags":["nvd"],"epss":0.00209,"epssPercentile":0.11303,"ingestedAt":"2026-09-08T21:11:12.290Z","slug":"CVE-2026-85166","body":"## Overview\n\nn8n before 2.35.4 and 2.36.x before 2.36.2 does not validate credential references in the inline workflow JSON of nodes that execute an inline sub-workflow (e.g., the Workflow Tool node). A shared-workflow editor, or any user creating/updating a workflow via the REST API, Public API, or MCP, can persist a node referencing a credential they do not own. When the workflow is later executed under an identity that holds the credential, the inline sub-workflow resolves the secret and can send it to an attacker-controlled endpoint, resulting in credential exfiltration.\n\n## Affected\n\n- `n8n < 2.35.4`\n- `n8n >= 2.36.0, < 2.36.2`\n\n## Remediation\n\nUpgrade past the affected range:\n\n- `n8n 2.36.2`","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":36,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":35.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[{"seq":202025,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789400045489,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":202024,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789400045489,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":200752,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789397604234,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":200751,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789397604234,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":199447,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789395513407,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":199446,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789395513407,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":198692,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789392229708,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":198691,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789392229708,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":197025,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789384290241,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":197024,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789384290241,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":194154,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789378768574,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":194153,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789378768574,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":192941,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789376512813,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":192940,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789376512813,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":191728,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789373617939,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":191727,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789373617939,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":190513,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789369469559,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":190512,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789369469559,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":189300,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789368395747,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":189299,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789368395747,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":188083,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789365228108,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":188082,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789365228108,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":186870,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789363467240,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":186869,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789363467240,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":185656,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789361222971,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":185655,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789361222971,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":184443,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789358349947,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":184442,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789358349947,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":182694,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789354314094,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":182693,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789354314094,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":181487,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789353311987,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":181486,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789353311987,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":180280,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789350276252,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":180279,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789350276252,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":179073,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789348277368,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":179072,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789348277368,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":177866,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789346365893,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":177865,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789346365893,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":176659,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789343172202,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":176658,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789343172202,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":174776,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789334873032,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":174775,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789334873032,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":173571,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789333684819,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":173570,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789333684819,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":172385,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789331089903,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":172384,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789331089903,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"},{"seq":171199,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789328768712,"field":"cvss","old":"6.5","new":null},{"seq":171198,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789328768712,"field":"severity","old":"medium","new":"none"},{"seq":169994,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":1789327184960,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"6.5"},{"seq":169993,"id":"CVE-2026-85166","ts":178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