fix(core): Normalize quotes in strings in env vars (#18219)

packages/@n8n/config/src/decorators.ts

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export const Config: ClassDecorator = (ConfigClass: Class) => {
 						config[key] = new Date(timestamp);
 					}
 				} else if (type === String) {
-					config[key] = value;
+					config[key] = value.trim().replace(/^(['"])(.*)\1$/, '$2');
 				} else {
 					config[key] = new (type as Constructable)(value);
 				}

packages/@n8n/config/test/string-normalization.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import { Container } from '@n8n/di';
+
+import { GlobalConfig } from '../src/index';
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+	Container.reset();
+	jest.clearAllMocks();
+});
+
+const originalEnv = process.env;
+afterEach(() => {
+	process.env = originalEnv;
+});
+
+it('should strip double quotes from string values', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"America/Bogota"',
+		N8N_HOST: '"localhost"',
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('America/Bogota');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('localhost');
+});
+
+it('should strip single quotes from string values', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: "'America/Bogota'",
+		N8N_HOST: "'localhost'",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('America/Bogota');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('localhost');
+});
+
+it('should trim whitespace from quoted values', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '  "America/Bogota"  ',
+		N8N_HOST: "  'localhost'  ",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('America/Bogota');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('localhost');
+});
+
+it('should trim whitespace from unquoted values', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '  America/Bogota  ',
+		N8N_HOST: '  localhost  ',
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('America/Bogota');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('localhost');
+});
+
+it('should leave mismatched quotes unchanged', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"America/Bogota\'',
+		N8N_HOST: '\'localhost"',
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('"America/Bogota\'');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('\'localhost"');
+});
+
+it('should handle empty quotes', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '""',
+		N8N_HOST: "''",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('');
+});
+
+it('should handle single character in quotes', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"A"',
+		N8N_HOST: "'B'",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('A');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('B');
+});
+
+it('should handle values with spaces in quotes', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"America/New York"',
+		N8N_HOST: "'my host name'",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('America/New York');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('my host name');
+});
+
+it('should handle nested quotes', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"America/\'Bogota\'"',
+		N8N_HOST: '\'"localhost"\'',
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe("America/'Bogota'");
+	expect(config.host).toBe('"localhost"');
+});
+
+it('should handle only opening or closing quotes', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '"America/Bogota',
+		N8N_HOST: 'localhost"',
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('"America/Bogota');
+	expect(config.host).toBe('localhost"');
+});
+
+it('should handle multiple quote pairs', () => {
+	process.env = {
+		GENERIC_TIMEZONE: '""America/Bogota""',
+		N8N_HOST: "''localhost''",
+	};
+	const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+	expect(config.generic.timezone).toBe('"America/Bogota"'); // should strip only outer quotes
+	expect(config.host).toBe("'localhost'");
+});