CVE-2026-33665
n8n: LDAP Email-Based Account Linking Allows Privilege Escalation and Account Takeover
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0, when LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover. LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default). The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded, restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes, and/or audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
n8n: LDAP Email-Based Account Linking Allows Privilege Escalation and Account Takeover
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0, when LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover. LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default). The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded, restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes, and/or audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
CVE-2026-33665- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-15944
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0, when LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover. LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default). The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded, restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes, and/or audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
EUVD-2026-15944- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-c545-x2rh-82fc
n8n: LDAP Email-Based Account Linking Allows Privilege Escalation and Account Takeover
Impact
When LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover.
- LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default).
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded.
- Restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes.
- Audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations.
These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
GHSA-c545-x2rh-82fc- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L - CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0, when LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover. LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default). The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded, restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes, and/or audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
CVE-2026-33665- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
n8n: LDAP Email-Based Account Linking Allows Privilege Escalation and Account Takeover
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0, when LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover. LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default). The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded, restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes, and/or audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
CVE-2026-33665- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-c545-x2rh-82fc
n8n: LDAP Email-Based Account Linking Allows Privilege Escalation and Account Takeover
Impact
When LDAP authentication is enabled, n8n automatically linked an LDAP identity to an existing local account if the LDAP email attribute matched the local account's email. An authenticated LDAP user who could control their own LDAP email attribute could set it to match another user's email — including an administrator's — and upon login gain full access to that account. The account linkage persisted even if the LDAP email was later reverted, resulting in a permanent account takeover.
- LDAP authentication must be configured and active (non-default).
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.4.0 and 1.121.0. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Disable LDAP authentication until the instance can be upgraded.
- Restrict LDAP directory permissions so that users cannot modify their own email attributes.
- Audit existing LDAP-linked accounts for unexpected account associations.
These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
- Record
GHSA-c545-x2rh-82fc- CVSS 4.0
- 8.8 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:L - CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-33665 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in N8n, published March 25, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.34%, the 27th percentile. Fixed in n8n 2.4.0.