In the first regular IT SPARC Cast - CVE of the Week episode of 2026, John & Lou dive into a critical, actively exploitable vulnerability shaking the automation world. CVE-2026-21858—dubbed Ni8mare—targets the popular workflow automation platform n8n, earning a full CVSS 10.0 due to unauthenticated remote code execution.

They break down how a content-type confusion bug inside n8n’s webhook processing engine allows attackers to fully compromise systems, why automation platforms are uniquely dangerous when breached, and what this means for enterprises running self-hosted or lightly governed internal tooling. The episode also highlights listener feedback and calls out a community-built React security tool worth checking out.

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Show Notes

CVE of the Week: n8n “Ni8mare” (CVE-2026-21858)

•What is n8n?

An open-source, self-hosted workflow automation platform similar to Zapier or Make, widely used in enterprise and regulated environments for visual API-driven automation.

•Severity & Scope

CVE-2026-21858 carries a CVSS 10.0, joining multiple recent n8n vulnerabilities rated 9.9–10.0. n8n has over 200,000 deployments across cloud and on-prem environments.

•Technical Root Cause

A content-type confusion flaw in webhook form-data handling allows attackers to bypass file validation and execute arbitrary code.

•Why This Is Dangerous

Workflow engines often touch identity systems, APIs, credentials, and business logic—making them high-value targets with blast radii far beyond a single server.

•Enterprise Takeaway

Shadow IT, internally built automation, and lightly governed enablement tools must be continuously audited. Patch known systems—and actively hunt for unknown ones.

https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/critical-n8n-vulnerability-cvss-100.html

Listener Highlight

Dennis called out the Ingram Micro ransomware outage, noting that he hadn’t realized just how disruptive that incident was. And he’s absolutely right—Ingram Micro going offline for roughly 9–10 days created a nightmare scenario for VARs, system integrators, and build shops that rely on Ingram for ordering, RMAs, and emergency drop-ship replacements.

To put the scale in perspective, Ingram Micro processes an estimated $30–40 million per day in transactions. Even if some revenue was recovered later, the operational disruption, reputational damage, and downstream impact across the supply chain were massive. This is exactly why incidents like this belong in the conversation when we talk about real-world IT security failures.

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Dennis—we genuinely appreciate the feedback and the conversation it sparked.

Wrap Up & Community Engagement

This episode reinforces a core theme: automation without security oversight becomes an enterprise liability. IT teams must partner with business units—not just say “no”—while enforcing continuous audits and rapid patching.

Follow & Connect

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John Barger

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarger/

Lou Schmidt

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-schmidt-b102446/

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