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OpenClaw EUVDEUVD-2026-27287

| CVE-2026-43568 HIGH
Missing Authorization (CWE-862)
2026-05-05 VulnCheck
7.1
CVSS 4.0 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain write-scoped gateway credentials
  2. Delivery
    Authenticate to OpenClaw gateway
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted /dreaming toggle request
  4. Execution
    Bypass admin scope check in vulnerable handler
  5. Persist
    Persist admin-class configuration mutation
  6. Impact
    Escalate to administrative control of memory dreaming settings

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires authenticated network access with operator.write scope credentials to an OpenClaw gateway instance running vulnerable versions 2026.4.5 through 2026.4.9. Specifically, the attacker must possess valid gateway client credentials with write scope but not admin scope-environments using only admin-scoped accounts or unauthenticated access are not exploitable via this path. The /dreaming endpoint must be accessible to the authenticated session (not blocked by external firewall/proxy rules). Exploitation occurs against default configurations where write-scoped operators can reach the endpoint; no special feature enablement required beyond standard gateway operation. User interaction is not required (UI:N). Limiting factors: network accessibility to the gateway (typically requires internal network or VPN access in production deployments), credential theft or insider threat prerequisite, and deployment model (single-tenant instances with unified privilege levels face lower risk than multi-tenant or role-separated environments).

Impact

Real-world risk is moderate and context-dependent. CVSS 7.1 (High) reflects network accessibility, low complexity (AV:N/AC:L), and high integrity impact (VI:H), but exploitation requires authenticated credentials (PR:L). The attack cannot be automated against arbitrary targets-attackers must first obtain legitimate write-scoped gateway credentials, limiting opportunistic mass exploitation. EPSS data not provided, but the specificity of required context (authenticated gateway access to an npm-distributed AI platform) suggests low widespread exploitation probability. No CISA KEV listing confirms this is not yet exploited at scale. The GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-5gjc-grvm-m88j) and commit 6af17b39 confirm both the vulnerability details and patch availability. Primary risk applies to multi-tenant OpenClaw deployments where write-scoped operators should not control admin-class settings-single-tenant or tightly controlled environments face lower practical risk. The 'Authentication Bypass' tag is somewhat misleading; this is privilege escalation within an authenticated session, not authentication bypass. Prioritize patching in environments where operator roles are segregated and untrusted users hold write credentials.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with compromised or insider write-scoped gateway credentials (operator.write) authenticates to the OpenClaw gateway and sends a crafted request to the /dreaming endpoint with a toggle command (e.g., POST /dreaming with 'on' or 'off' parameter). The vulnerable handler in dreaming-command.ts processes the request without validating gatewayClientScopes, allowing the write-scoped session to persist admin-class configuration changes. The attacker escalates to admin-level control over memory dreaming settings, potentially enabling data persistence manipulation, configuration tampering, or further privilege escalation via modified dreaming behavior. No public exploit code identified at time of analysis, but the GitHub commit diff provides clear implementation details for proof-of-concept development.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv2 – May 05, 2026

OpenClaw npm package versions 2026.4.5 through 2026.4.9 allow privilege escalation from write-scoped operators to administrator-level configuration access. Authenticated attackers with 'operator.write' gateway credentials can modify persistent memory dreaming settings via the /dreaming endpoint, bypassing intended admin-only restrictions. Vendor-released patch available (v2026.4.10); no active exploitation confirmed at time of analysis.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 May 05, 2026 - 12:21 CVSS 6.5

Privilege escalation in OpenClaw versions 2026.4.5 through 2026.4.9 allows write-scoped operators to escalate privileges by modifying persistent memory dreaming settings through the /dreaming endpoint. Attackers with write-scoped gateway access can toggle admin-class configuration mutations intended to be restricted to admin-scope operators only. Vendor-released patch version 2026.4.10 restricts /dreaming persistence to operator.admin scope and treats missing gateway client scopes as unprivileged.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to OpenClaw version 2026.4.10 or later via npm (npm update openclaw or npm install openclaw@2026.4.10). The latest stable release 2026.4.14 includes the fix from commit 6af17b39e11f5f35e23b7e5a5f71a7d0aa3c7310 and PR #63872. Installation instructions and release notes are available at the vendor advisory https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-5gjc-grvm-m88j. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict /dreaming endpoint access at the gateway/reverse proxy layer to admin-scoped clients only, or disable the dreaming feature entirely via configuration until upgrade (verify disable method in OpenClaw documentation as this workaround may impact memory persistence functionality). Review audit logs for unauthorized /dreaming invocations by write-scoped accounts between deployment of versions 2026.4.5-2026.4.9 and patch application. Restricting endpoint access trades memory dreaming capabilities for write-scoped users but prevents privilege escalation; disabling dreaming system-wide may degrade AI memory features.

Affected VersionsENISA

OpenClaw 2026.4.5 <2026.4.10

Affected Packages

npm openclaw fix: 2026.4.10

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in npm

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

OpenClaw is an npm-distributed AI gateway platform with role-based access control for configuration management. The vulnerability stems from CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), where the /dreaming endpoint handler failed to validate caller scope before persisting configuration mutations. The dreaming subsystem controls memory persistence behavior-a privileged setting intended for operator.admin scope only. The flaw occurred in the dreaming-command.ts handler and chat.ts gateway dispatcher: write-scoped clients could invoke persistent config changes, and missing gatewayClientScopes were silently treated as privileged rather than unprivileged. The affected package (cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw) distributed via npm ecosystem allows granular scope assignment (operator.write, operator.admin) for gateway clients, but the authorization check was absent in the configuration persistence path.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 7.1 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
None
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
None
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Analysis Updated
May 05, 2026 - 12:45 vuln.today
v2 - CVSS changed
Severity Changed
May 05, 2026 - 12:37 NVD
MEDIUM HIGH
CVSS changed
May 05, 2026 - 12:37 NVD
6.5 (MEDIUM) 7.1 (HIGH)

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw versions 2026.4.5 before 2026.4.10 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing write-scoped operators to modify persistent memory dreaming settings. Attackers with write-scoped gateway access can toggle admin-class configuration mutations through the /dreaming endpoint to escalate privileges.

Blast Radius

ecosystem impact
† from your stack dependencies † transitive graph · vuln.today resolves 4-path depth
  • 1 npm packages depend on openclaw (1 direct, 0 indirect)

Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 2026.4.5.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

OpenClaw npm package versions 2026.4.5-2026.4.9 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing write-scoped operators to gain administrative access to system configuration. Organizations using affected versions face unauthorized modification of critical gateway settings by internal users with limited permissions, requiring immediate remediation to prevent unauthorized system changes.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch to v2026.4.10 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the /dreaming endpoint at the gateway level and audit operator.write credential assignments to only trusted personnel.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 93% exploitable
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment CIRCL GitHub VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

36
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

CVE-2026-28446 CRITICAL POC
9.4 Mar 05

Auth bypass in OpenClaw voice-call extension before 2026.2.1. EPSS 0.68%. PoC and patch available.

CVE-2026-33579 CRITICAL POC
9.4 Mar 31

Privilege escalation in OpenClaw (pre-2026.3.28) allows unauthenticated remote attackers to gain administrative access b

CVE-2026-32042 HIGH POC
8.8 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions 2026.2.22 through 2026.2.24 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated att

CVE-2026-32051 HIGH POC
8.8 Mar 21

An authorization mismatch vulnerability in OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.1 allows authenticated users with operator.

CVE-2026-25253 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 01

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.1.29 automatically establish WebSocket connections to attacker-controlled gateway URLs e

CVE-2026-32846 HIGH POC
8.7 Mar 26

Path traversal in OpenClaw through version 2026.3.23 enables unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files in

CVE-2026-53857 HIGH POC
8.6 Jun 16

Authentication bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.5.3 allows remote attackers with low privileges to receive agent responses

CVE-2026-100530 HIGH POC
8.5 Sep 26

Directory-context bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.8.1 allows authenticated attackers with user interaction to reuse an 'a

CVE-2026-32064 HIGH POC
8.5 Mar 21

Unauthenticated access to the noVNC observer interface in OpenClaw's Docker sandbox browser allows anyone who can reach

CVE-2026-32055 HIGH POC
7.6 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions before 2026.2.26 allow authenticated attackers to write arbitrary files outside the workspace director

CVE-2026-32056 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain a shell environment variable injection vulnerability in the system.run func

CVE-2026-32049 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain a resource exhaustion vulnerability where the application fails to consiste

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