High

OpenClaw's gateway config mutation guard allowed unsafe model-driven config writes

  • Disclosed: 05.05.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Summary

The agent-facing gateway tool protects config.apply and config.patch with a model-to-operator trust boundary. That guard used a hand-maintained denylist of protected config paths. The config schema outgrew that denylist, leaving sensitive subtrees writable through model-driven gateway config mutations.

Impact

A prompt-injected or otherwise compromised model running with access to the owner-only gateway tool could persist unsafe config changes that crossed security boundaries. Examples included config paths affecting command execution, network/proxy/TLS behavior, credential forwarding, telemetry or hook endpoints, memory/indexing surfaces, and operator policy controls. These changes could survive restart once written to config.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: openclaw on npm
  • Affected: versions before 2026.4.23
  • Fixed: 2026.4.23
  • Latest stable verified fixed: openclaw@2026.4.23, tag v2026.4.23

Fix

OpenClaw replaced the denylist with a fail-closed allowlist. Agent-driven gateway config.apply and gateway config.patch now permit only narrow agent-tunable prompt/model settings and mention-gating paths. Other config changes are rejected before the gateway mutation RPC is invoked.

Fix Commit(s)

  • bceda6089aa7b3695cc7696b43c61ae3d01bb0ec (fix(gateway): fail closed on runtime config edits)

Severity

Severity remains high. The vulnerable entry point is owner-only, but the model/agent is not a trusted principal under OpenClaw's security model, and the guard is the explicit model-to-operator boundary for persisted config mutation.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
npm package openclaw < 2026.4.23 2026.4.23

References

CVSS score 8.8/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-862
Platform
npm
Package
openclaw
Disclosed
05.05.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-cwj3-vqpp-pmxr - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: openclaw

All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (589) in the archive
Total entries
589
First → latest
02.2026 10.2026
Without a fix
9
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 20
  • High 215
  • Medium 300
  • Low 54

Disclosures per year

  1. 2026: 589
Severity:
  1. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-53811 < 2026.5.7 2026.5.7
  2. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-53806 < 2026.5.12 2026.5.12
  3. High · 7.8 CVE-2026-53813 < 2026.4.25 2026.4.25
  4. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-53834 < 2026.4.27 2026.4.27
  5. Critical CVE-2026-34507 < 2026.4.29 2026.4.29
  6. High CVE-2026-53823 < 2026.5.3 2026.5.3
  7. High · 8.4 CVE-2026-53814 < 2026.5.20 2026.5.20
  8. High · 6.5 CVE-2026-53815 < 2026.5.19 2026.5.19
  9. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53849 < 2026.5.7 2026.5.7
  10. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53857 < 2026.5.3 2026.5.3
  11. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53866 < 2026.5.12 2026.5.12
  12. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53864 < 2026.5.26 2026.5.26
  13. OpenClaw's gateway config mutation guard allowed unsafe model-driven config writes this entry
    High · 8.8 CVE-2026-45006 < 2026.4.23 2026.4.23
  14. Critical · 9.8 CVE-2026-44109 < 2026.4.15 2026.4.15
  15. Critical · 8.1 CVE-2026-43585 < 2026.4.15 2026.4.15
  16. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-43530 >= 2026.2.23, < 2026.4.12 2026.4.12
  17. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-42434 >= 2026.4.5, < 2026.4.10 2026.4.10
  18. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-42437 >= 2026.4.9, < 2026.4.10 2026.4.10
  19. High CVE-2026-41393 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  20. Critical · 8.2 CVE-2026-41296 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  21. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-41352 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  22. High · 7.8 CVE-2026-41396 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  23. High · 8.6 CVE-2026-35641 < 2026.3.24 2026.3.24
  24. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-35650 < 2026.3.22 2026.3.22
  25. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-32846 < 2026.03.28 2026.03.28
  26. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-33573 < 2026.3.11 2026.3.11
  27. Critical · 9.9 CVE-2026-22172 < 2026.3.12 2026.3.12
  28. Critical · 9.4 CVE-2026-32916 >= 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11 2026.3.11
  29. High · 7.1 ghsa-gp3q-wpq4-5c5h < 2026.2.26 2026.2.26
  30. High · 7.4 CVE-2026-3690 < 2026.2.19 2026.2.19
Show more (20) Showing 140 of 235

Know which vulnerabilities affect your application

With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.

Connect your application
DockRay newsletter

Application security in your inbox

Important vulnerabilities, actionable guidance and practical advice for your applications. Choose your technologies and follow what matters to your project.

  • A daily digest of new vulnerabilities, critical ones included.
  • Notifications about important updates.
  • Practical advice on application security and monitoring.

Leave empty to receive updates for every technology.

Free to subscribe. Unsubscribe with one click in any email.