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CVE-2026-28466 — Vulnerability in openclaw — CVE Details

CRITICAL

OpenClaw Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Node Invoke Approval Bypass in Gateway

Published March 2, 2026Updated March 6, 2026Source: osv

Summary

### Summary A remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in the gateway-to-node invocation path allowed an authenticated gateway client to bypass node-host exec approvals by injecting internal control fields into `node.invoke` parameters. ### Affected Component - Gateway method: `node.invoke` for node command `system.run` - Node host runner: exec approval gating for `system.run` ### Impact If an attacker can authenticate to a gateway (for example via a leaked/shared gateway token or a paired device token with `operator.write`), they could execute arbitrary commands on connected node hosts that support `system.run`. This can lead to full compromise of developer workstations, CI runners, and servers running the node host. ### Technical Details The gateway forwarded user-controlled `params` to node hosts without sanitizing internal approval fields. The node host treated `params.approved === true` and/or `params.approvalDecision` as sufficient to skip the approval workflow. ### Fix Patched in **OpenClaw `2026.2.14`**. - Commits: - `318379cdb8d045da0009b0051bd0e712e5c65e2d` - `a7af646fdab124a7536998db6bd6ad567d2b06b0` - `c1594627421f95b6bc4ad7c606657dc75b5ad0ce` - `0af76f5f0e93540efbdf054895216c398692afcd` - Gateway strips untrusted approval control fields from `system.run` user input. - Gateway only re-attaches approval flags when `params.runId` references a valid `exec.approval.request` record and the request context matches. Approval IDs are bound to the requesting device identity (stable across reconnects), preventing replay by other clients. - Gateway forwards only an allowlisted set of `system.run` parameters, preventing future control-field smuggling. ### Mitigations - Upgrade to `2026.2.14` or later. - Restrict access to the gateway (do not expose it to untrusted networks/users). - Rotate gateway credentials if you suspect token/password exposure. - Disable remote command execution on nodes by blocking `system.run` at the gateway (`gateway.nodes.denyCommands`) and/or by configuring node exec security to `deny`. ### Credits OpenClaw thanks @222n5 for reporting this issue.

Advisory Timeline

  • First published March 2, 2026 (223 days ago).
  • Last revised March 6, 2026 — 3 days after initial publication.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm
Update openclaw to 2026.2.14 or later
npm install openclaw@2026.2.14

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

Affects 1 ecosystem: npm (1).

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
openclaw
npm
All versions2026.2.14

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.9 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-28466?
OpenClaw Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Node Invoke Approval Bypass in Gateway This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.9/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-28466?
CVE-2026-28466 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-28466 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
9.9

Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.

Also Known As

GHSA-gv46-4xfq-jv58

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