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Mallory
Critical

RCE in n8n Merge node "Combine by SQL" mode

IdentifiersCVE-2026-33660CWE-94· Improper Control of Generation of…

CVE-2026-33660 is a critical authenticated remote code execution vulnerability in n8n, an open-source workflow automation platform. The flaw affects the Merge node when configured in "Combine by SQL" mode, which uses AlaSQL. In affected versions prior to 2.14.1, 2.13.3, and 1.123.26, the AlaSQL sandbox does not sufficiently restrict certain SQL statements, enabling a sandbox escape / code injection condition from attacker-controlled workflow input. An authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows can abuse this weakness to read local files from the n8n host and escalate to arbitrary code execution on the underlying server, potentially leading to full compromise of the instance.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an authenticated low-privilege user with workflow creation or modification capability to bypass intended sandbox restrictions, access sensitive local files on the n8n host, and achieve arbitrary code execution on the server. This can result in compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, including theft of secrets or configuration data, modification of workflows or host state, service disruption, and full takeover of the n8n instance and potentially the underlying host environment.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate patching is not possible, restrict workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users only, since exploitation requires those capabilities. As an additional temporary workaround, disable the vulnerable Merge node by adding n8n-nodes-base.merge to the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable. These measures reduce exposure but do not fully remediate the vulnerability; vendor-fixed versions are required for complete remediation.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade n8n to a fixed release. The provided content states the issue is fixed in versions 2.14.1, 2.13.3, and 1.123.26 or later. Apply the vendor patch on the appropriate release branch as the primary remediation. After upgrading, review workflow-editing permissions and audit existing workflows and credentials for signs of abuse or post-exploitation.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
N8nN8napplication

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What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity6

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.