Which versions of OpenClaw are affected by CVE-2026-42432?

OpenClaw versions before 2026.4.8 allow previously paired nodes to reconnect and execute administrative commands without re-authentication, creating risk of unauthorized control over local assistant…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-42432?

Within 24 hours, inventory OpenClaw deployments across the environment and identify instances running versions prior to 2026.4.8; search access logs for suspicious paired-node reconnection events. Within 7 days, test OpenClaw 2026.4.8 in a staging environment and begin staged rollout to production, starting with systems handling sensitive operations. Within 30 days, complete production migration to OpenClaw 2026.4.8, validate that unpaired nodes cannot execute privileged commands, and implement continuous monitoring for privilege escalation attempts.

OpenClaw CVE-2026-42432

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-42432?

CVE-2026-42432 has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.3 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

EUVD-2026-26134 HIGH

Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863)

2026-04-28 VulnCheck

GHSA-5wj5-87vq-39xm

Privilege Escalation Authentication Bypass Openclaw

7.3

CVSS 4.0 · NVD

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY

7.3 HIGH

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

vuln.today AI

7.0 HIGH

Local vector plus the prior-pairing precondition map to AV:L and AC:H; a paired node holds limited scope so PR:L; total local impact gives C/I/A:H with no scope change.

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

4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Lifecycle Timeline

Source Code Evidence Fetched

Jul 24, 2026 - 04:12 vuln.today

Analysis Generated

Jul 24, 2026 - 04:12 vuln.today

CVSS changed

Apr 28, 2026 - 19:52 NVD

7.8 (HIGH) 7.3 (HIGH)

EUVD ID Assigned

Apr 28, 2026 - 19:30 euvd

EUVD-2026-26134

Patch released

Apr 28, 2026 - 19:30 nvd

Patch available

CVE Published

Apr 28, 2026 - 18:10 nvd

HIGH 7.3

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw before 2026.4.8 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing previously paired nodes to reconnect with exec-capable commands without operator.admin scope requirement. Attackers can bypass re-pairing authentication to execute privileged commands on the local assistant system.

AnalysisAI

Privilege escalation via authentication bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.4.8 allows a previously paired node to reconnect and gain an expanded, exec-capable command set without satisfying the operator.admin re-pairing scope check. Rooted in CWE-863 (incorrect authorization), the flaw lets an attacker who was once paired execute privileged commands on the local assistant host. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and it is not in CISA KEV; EPSS is very low at 0.02% (6th percentile), consistent with a local, precondition-dependent issue rather than an internet-wide threat.

Technical ContextAI

OpenClaw is a user-controlled local AI assistant that pairs with client 'nodes' and gates sensitive, exec-capable command sets behind an operator.admin scope requirement enforced during (re-)pairing. The vulnerability is an authorization flaw (CWE-863, Incorrect Authorization): on reconnect, a node that had previously completed pairing is granted a broader command surface without being forced back through the operator/admin re-pairing path, so the scope check that should constrain exec-capable commands is effectively skipped. The affected component is the npm package 'openclaw' (CPE cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw). Per the vendor GHSA advisory (GHSA-5wj5-87vq-39xm), this is scoped strictly to OpenClaw's single-user local trust model and does not assume a multi-tenant service boundary, which bounds the realistic blast radius.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.4.8 or later, which enforces the operator.admin re-pairing scope on node reconnect (Vendor-released patch: 2026.4.8; verified fixed tree at commit d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5). Update via npm to the 2026.4.8 package. If you cannot upgrade immediately, reduce exposure of the pairing surface: revoke and force re-pairing of previously paired nodes so no stale paired identity retains implicit exec scope, and restrict which hosts/processes can reach the OpenClaw pairing/reconnect listener (bind to loopback or a trusted local socket only) so only trusted local nodes can present as a returning node - the trade-off is that legitimate remote or cross-host nodes will then need to re-pair. Because OpenClaw is a single-user local assistant, also treat local account hygiene on the assistant host as a compensating control. Follow the vendor advisory at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-5wj5-87vq-39xm for authoritative guidance.