CVE-2026-85165: n8n before 2.36.2 Expression Sandbox Bypass via SpreadElement

Severity: critical (CVSS 9.9 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-03 · updated 2026-10-29
Weakness: CWE-95

Description

n8n versions before 2.36.2 contain an expression sandbox bypass vulnerability where free identifiers in spread, computed-key, switch-case, or class-extension positions resolve against process globals. Authenticated users with workflow-edit permission can mutate host objects through expression evaluation, with changes persisting process-wide until restart.

Affected products

n8n-io n8n: before 2.35.4; from 2.36.0 through 2.36.2 — fixed in 2.35.4
n8n-io n8n: from 2.36.0 before 2.36.2 — fixed in 2.36.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: n8n-io n8n 2.35.4; n8n-io n8n 2.36.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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