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OpenClaw EUVDEUVD-2026-28175

| CVE-2026-43581 CRITICAL
Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default (CWE-1188)
2026-05-06 disclosure@vulncheck.com
9.0
CVSS 4.0 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Gain adjacent network access
  2. Delivery
    Scan Docker bridge subnet for CDP port 9222
  3. Exploit
    Connect to exposed Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint
  4. Execution
    Issue CDP commands to control browser
  5. Persist
    Exfiltrate credentials from browser storage
  6. Impact
    Manipulate agent-viewed content

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Secure default settings
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the OpenClaw sandbox browser feature to be actively running with default (vulnerable) configuration in versions before 2026.4.10. The attacker must have adjacent network access to the Docker bridge network where the sandbox browser container is deployed - typically achieved by controlling a peer container in the same Docker Compose stack, Kubernetes pod network, or local area network with bridge access. The CDP relay must be started (default behavior when sandbox browser is initialized). Exploitation is NOT possible from the public internet (AV:A limits to adjacent networks), does NOT require authentication to OpenClaw itself (PR:N), and does NOT require user interaction (UI:N). Docker network isolation (user-defined bridge with --internal flag or network policies blocking inter-container traffic) and non-default cdpSourceRange configuration limit exposure.

Impact

CVSS 9.0 (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) indicates adjacent network exploitation with low complexity and no authentication, resulting in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, availability, and subsequent system scope. The Adjacent Vector (AV:A) limits exploitation to attackers on the same network segment as the Docker bridge - typically peer containers in the same pod/stack or local network attackers with Docker network access. Attack Complexity Low (AC:L) and Present Attack Requirements (AT:P) reflect that exploitation requires the sandbox browser to be running with default (pre-patch) configuration. No EPSS score or CISA KEV status provided, suggesting limited real-world exploitation visibility at time of analysis. The vulnerability's real-world severity depends heavily on deployment architecture: multi-tenant container environments where untrusted workloads share Docker networks face critical risk, while single-tenant or network-isolated deployments have reduced exposure. The comprehensive fix with fail-closed defaults and unit test coverage indicates vendor confidence in remediation completeness. Primary risk is to AI agent platforms, browser automation frameworks, and testing infrastructure using OpenClaw in shared Docker environments.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker deploys a malicious container on the same Docker bridge network as an OpenClaw sandbox browser instance. The attacker scans the bridge subnet (e.g., 172.21.0.0/16) and discovers the CDP relay listening on port 9222 with 0.0.0.0 binding. Using a standard CDP client library, the attacker connects to the exposed endpoint and issues Chrome DevTools Protocol commands to navigate sandboxed browser sessions, inject JavaScript into agent-controlled pages, exfiltrate cookies/tokens from browser storage, or manipulate DOM content to poison agent training data.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – May 06, 2026

Chrome DevTools Protocol exposure in OpenClaw sandbox browser allows adjacent network attackers to remotely control sandboxed Chrome instances and access sensitive data. The CDP relay binds to 0.0.0.0 without source IP restrictions in versions before 2026.4.10, enabling attackers on the same Docker network to bypass sandbox isolation and execute arbitrary JavaScript in browser contexts. Vendor-released patch available (v2026.4.10); no public exploit identified at time of analysis. CVSS 9.0 reflects adjacent network attack vector with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact across virtual and system scopes.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.4.10 or later (npm install openclaw@2026.4.14 contains the fix). The patch enforces CDP source range validation by auto-deriving restrictions from the Docker bridge gateway IP (e.g., 172.21.0.1/32) or requiring explicit OPENCLAW_BROWSER_CDP_SOURCE_RANGE configuration. Fix commit fbf11ebdb7110632f93926d0ac7b48f04cb44d77 and PR #61404 available at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/fbf11ebdb7110632f93926d0ac7b48f04cb44d77. For deployments unable to upgrade immediately, set OPENCLAW_BROWSER_CDP_SOURCE_RANGE environment variable to a restrictive CIDR (e.g., 127.0.0.1/32 for localhost-only, or the specific management host IP) before starting the sandbox browser container. Note this workaround requires modifying container orchestration configs and will prevent the socat relay from starting if left unset in patched versions. Network-level mitigation: isolate OpenClaw sandbox containers using Docker network segmentation or firewall rules blocking CDP port (default 9222) from untrusted peers; this adds operational complexity and does not address the root cause. No workaround fully replicates the patch's fail-closed design.

Affected VersionsENISA

OpenClaw 0 <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

Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) is a remote debugging interface that provides full control over Chrome/Chromium browser instances, including JavaScript execution, DOM manipulation, network interception, and access to cookies/storage. OpenClaw's sandbox browser architecture uses a socat relay to forward CDP connections from the host to the containerized Chrome instance. The vulnerability stems from CWE-1188 (Insecure Default Initialization of Resource) - the relay bound to 0.0.0.0 on all interfaces without IP source filtering. The fix introduces mandatory CDP_SOURCE_RANGE validation: the entrypoint script now refuses to start socat unless an explicit CIDR is provided, auto-deriving it from the Docker bridge network gateway (e.g., 172.21.0.1/32) or using 127.0.0.1/32 for network=none deployments. For non-bridge network drivers (macvlan, ipvlan), the fix requires explicit administrator configuration to prevent accidental exposure. The patch adds comprehensive test coverage for gateway derivation, IPv6 rejection (relay binds IPv4 only), and network driver edge cases.

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 9.0 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
May 06, 2026 - 21:03 EUVD
CVE Published
May 06, 2026 - 20:16 nvd
CRITICAL 9.0

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw before 2026.4.10 contains an improper network binding vulnerability in the sandbox browser CDP relay that exposes Chrome DevTools Protocol on 0.0.0.0. Attackers can access the DevTools protocol outside intended local sandbox boundaries by exploiting the overly broad binding configuration.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

OpenClaw sandbox browser versions before 2026.4.10 expose Chrome DevTools Protocol without network segmentation, allowing attackers on the same Docker network to remotely control browser instances and exfiltrate sensitive data. Organizations using OpenClaw in containerized environments face immediate risk of sandbox escape and credential theft if deployed without network isolation controls.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Vendor-released patch: v2026.4.10. Interim mitigations (if patch deployment delayed): Restrict CDP relay to localhost only via configuration (if supported); place OpenClaw containers in isolated Docker networks with explicit deny-all ingress rules; implement host-level firewall rules blocking inbound access to CDP ports from untrusted networks; disable CDP relay if functionality not required.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 94% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
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
Controlled
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

45
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +45
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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