AI platform n8n abused for stealthy phishing and malware delivery

Attackers abuse AI automation platform n8n to run phishing campaigns, deliver malware, and evade security by using trusted infrastructure.

Threat actors are exploiting the popular AI workflow automation platform n8n to launch advanced phishing campaigns, deliver malware, and collect device data through automated emails. By using trusted infrastructure, they can bypass traditional security controls and maintain persistent access. The abuse of legitimate tools like n8n highlights how attackers are turning productivity platforms into powerful cyberattack enablers.

Cisco Talos found that attackers are abusing n8n webhooks, URLs that trigger automated workflows, to run phishing campaigns and deliver malware.

When users click these links in emails, their browser processes malicious content as if it came from a trusted source. The use of webhooks has surged sharply, driven by their ability to mask origins and tailor payloads. In observed campaigns, victims received emails mimicking OneDrive links, leading to CAPTCHA-protected pages that downloaded malicious files.

“Talos observed a phishing campaign (shown in Figure 3) that used an n8n-hosted webhook link in emails that purported to be a shared Microsoft OneDrive folder. When clicked, the link opened a webpage in the targeted user’s browser containing a CAPTCHA.” reads the report published by Talos. “Once the CAPTCHA is completed, a download button appears, triggering a progress bar as the payload is downloaded from an external host. Because the entire process is encapsulated within the JavaScript of the HTML document, the download appears to the browser to have come from the n8n domain.”

These included executables or MSI installers that deployed remote management tools as backdoors, enabling persistence, command execution, and data exfiltration while appearing legitimate.

The malicious executable employed in this campaign uses PowerShell commands to deploy the Datto RMM tool, configure it as a scheduled task, and establish persistence by connecting to a remote relay before deleting traces of the payload. Talos also observed a similar attack using n8n webhooks to deliver a different payload via a phishing page protected by a CAPTCHA. Once solved, victims download a malicious MSI installer disguised as a OneDrive document, which installs a modified ITarian RMM tool acting as a backdoor and enabling data exfiltration, while a fake installer interface hides the activity.

Additionally, attackers abuse n8n for device fingerprinting by embedding invisible tracking images in emails. When opened, these trigger requests to webhook URLs containing unique identifiers, allowing attackers to confirm email access and collect information about the victim’s device.

“The same workflows designed to save developers hours of manual labor are now being repurposed to automate the delivery of malware and fingerprinting devices due to their flexibility, ease of integration, and seamless automation.” concludes the report. “As we continue to leverage the power of low-code automation, it’s the responsibility of security teams to ensure these platforms and tools remain assets rather than liabilities.”

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, malware)