n8n-nodes-echelon

An n8n community node for pentesting workflows. Echelon extends the built-in Execute Command node with structured argument handling, output file parsing, and STDIN support — designed to integrate CLI security tools into n8n automation pipelines.

Features

• Structured argument builder — Define program arguments as parameter/value pairs instead of building raw command strings. Keeps workflows readable and maintainable.
• Output file parsing — Automatically reads and parses tool output files in JSON, JSON-Lines (JSONL), or plain text (line-by-line). Use the FILENAME placeholder in any argument value to inject a unique temp file path that the target tool can write to.
• STDIN support — Pipe arbitrary content into the executed program via STDIN. Useful for feeding wordlists, payloads, or data from previous workflow steps directly into CLI tools.
• Full stdout/stderr capture — Both streams are captured and returned as structured data for downstream processing.

Installation

In n8n Community Nodes

1. Go to Settings → Community Nodes
2. Select Install a community node
3. Enter n8n-nodes-echelon
4. Confirm the installation

Manual Installation

cd ~/.n8n/nodes
pnpm install n8n-nodes-echelon

Restart n8n after installation.

Usage

Basic Command Execution

Set the Program To Execute field to any CLI tool available on the system (e.g. nmap, legba, ffuf, nuclei). Add arguments via the structured argument builder.

The FILENAME Placeholder

Many security tools support writing results to a file. Use FILENAME as the value of any argument, and Echelon will replace it with a unique temporary file path. After execution, enable one of the parse options to automatically read the results back into your workflow.

Example — nmap with XML output:

| Parameter | Value | |-----------|-------| | -sV | | | -oX | FILENAME | | | target.com |

Then enable Parse Output File as JSON or Parse Output File as TEXT per line depending on the tool's output format.

Output File Parsing Options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | Parse Output File as JSON | Reads the output file and parses it as a single JSON object. Result available in output_file_json_data. | | Parse Output File as JSONL | Reads the output file line-by-line, parsing each line as JSON. Result available in output_file_jsonl_data. Ideal for tools like nuclei that output one JSON object per line. | | Parse Output File as TEXT per line | Splits the output file by newlines into an array of strings. Result available in output_file_textl_data. |

STDIN Support

Enable Use STDIN and provide content in the STDIN Content field. This is useful for:

• Feeding target lists from previous nodes into tools
• Providing wordlists or payloads inline
• Piping data between workflow steps and CLI tools

Output Structure

Each execution returns a JSON object containing:

{
  "command": "nmap -sV -oX /path/to/output.out target.com",
  "stdout": "...",
  "stderr": "...",
  "output_file": "/path/to/output.out",
  "stdin": "...",
  "output_file_json_data": {},
  "output_file_jsonl_data": [],
  "output_file_textl_data": []
}

Example Pentesting Workflows

• Subdomain enumeration → port scanning → service detection — Chain subfinder → Echelon(nmap) → process results
• Credential spraying with output parsing — Run legba with JSONL output, parse results, and route to notification nodes
• Nuclei scanning pipeline — Feed target lists via STDIN, parse JSONL results, filter by severity, and create tickets

Compatibility

• n8n version: ≥ 1.0
• Node.js: ≥ 18.10
• Platform: Linux

Development

pnpm install
pnpm build
pnpm lint

License

MIT