Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain model-visible caller access to agent
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DeliveryEnumerate ownerless command cron jobs
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ExploitRead stored environment variables for secrets
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ExecutionForce-run disabled/unscheduled command job
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ImpactExecute operator-authored commands, exfiltrate secrets
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V14 - Data Protection Data exposure prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Collection, Discovery The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires that OpenClaw (before 2026.8.1) has operator-authored command cron jobs configured without proper owner binding, and that the attacker can act as a model-visible agent caller - i.e. supply input the agent processes with at least low-level access. Given those, the caller can inspect the jobs' stored environment variables and force-run disabled or unscheduled command jobs. Limiting factors: the target deployment must actually use command cron jobs (no jobs configured means no exposure), and the attacker must already reach the agent's caller surface; the disclosed secrets and executable commands are only those the operator placed in those jobs. |
| Impact | The vendor CVSS 4.0 vector (8.7, AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity flaw requiring only low privilege - consistent with the description's 'model-visible agent caller,' i.e. any caller whose input the agent processes, not a full operator. The dual VC:H/VI:H impact is well-justified: the flaw both discloses stored secrets (environment variables) and lets the caller force-execute operator-authored command jobs, which is effectively arbitrary command execution bounded by whatever those cron jobs contain. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC are present in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. This tempers what the high base score implies: it is a genuinely serious authorization/exposure bug within OpenClaw deployments, but real-world risk is gated by OpenClaw's niche footprint and by the attacker first needing a foothold as an agent-visible caller. Note the CWE-200 (Information Disclosure) classification and 'Information Disclosure' tag understate the impact - the ability to force-run command jobs is an integrity/execution issue (reflected in VI:H), not merely disclosure. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who can supply input to an OpenClaw agent (a model-visible caller with only low privilege) enumerates operator command cron jobs that have no owner binding, reads their stored environment variables to harvest secrets, then force-runs a disabled or unscheduled command job to execute the operator's commands on the host. No public POC is identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity and lack of a real ownership check make exploitation straightforward once caller access is obtained. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 26, 2026
Improper access control in OpenClaw versions before 2026.8.1 allows a model-visible agent caller to read and force-run operator-authored command cron jobs that lack proper owner binding. By reaching the agent's caller surface with at least low-level access, an attacker can disclose environment variables stored in those jobs and trigger disabled or unscheduled command jobs, exposing embedded secrets and executing commands the operator authored. The flaw carries a vendor CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 (PR:L, network reachable) and a CWE-200 information-exposure classification; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and the issue is not listed in CISA KEV, so risk is elevated but not confirmed as actively exploited.
RemediationAI
Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.8.1 or later, which is the patched release referenced by the vendor advisory GHSA-hpg5-cq3m-phqp (https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hpg5-cq3m-phqp); this is the primary and preferred fix. Until upgrading, restrict which callers can reach the agent's caller surface (for example, require authentication and scope agent access to trusted operators only), and audit all configured command cron jobs to ensure every job has an explicit owner binding and no unnecessary secrets in environment variables - note that adding owner binding may break jobs that legitimately rely on the current broad invocation behavior, so test before enforcing. As additional compensating measures, remove or rotate any secrets currently stored in cron-job environment variables, delete or disable unused command jobs to shrink the attack surface, and monitor job-execution logs for unexpected runs of disabled or unscheduled jobs. These workarounds reduce exposure but do not fully eliminate the risk, so patching to 2026.8.1 remains the recommended action.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
OpenClaw is an agent platform in which operator-defined command cron jobs run scheduled or on-demand tasks and may carry secrets in their stored environment variables. The vulnerability is rooted in missing ownership/authorization binding on those jobs (CWE-200, exposure of sensitive information): the access-control layer does not distinguish between an owner/operator and a model-visible agent caller, so a caller that the agent processes can enumerate and invoke jobs it should never see. The CVSS 4.0 vector CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L confirms a network-reachable, low-attack-complexity path requiring only low privilege (PR:L) and no user interaction, resulting in high confidentiality and integrity impact and a low availability impact; the independent assessment using CVSS 3.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L) is consistent, describing the same unauthenticated-adjacent but low-privilege precondition. The underlying technology class is scheduled/automated task execution combined with an agent prompt/caller interface, and the root cause is broken function-level authorization rather than a memory-safety or injection flaw.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Network-reachable low-privilege agent caller (PR:L) with low complexity reads secrets (C:H) and executes operator command jobs (I:H, A:L); no scope change to a separate system.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
OpenClaw versions before 2026.8.1 fail to properly restrict access to operator command cron jobs, allowing model-visible agent callers to read and execute ownerless command jobs. Attackers can inspect stored environment variables and force-run disabled or unscheduled command jobs to access secrets and execute operator-authored commands.
Technical POC Analysis
Evidence base: a single vendor advisory (GHSA-hpg5-cq3m-phqp).
Full technical POC analysis - root cause, step-by-step exploitation and patch breakdown - is part of the Pro and Business plans.
Executive ViewAI
OpenClaw deployments running versions before 2026.8.1 expose operator-authored command cron jobs - including the environment variables and embedded secrets they carry - to any caller with even low-level access to the agent surface, which can also be forced to execute those jobs on demand. Because these jobs typically hold credentials and execution rights, the exposure extends beyond OpenClaw to any downstream system those secrets unlock, and the vendor rates the flaw HIGH (CVSS 8.7). Leadership should treat this as a credential-exposure and integrity risk requiring near-term containment rather than an external unauthenticated attack path, as no public exploit has been identified and the issue is not confirmed as actively exploited.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: restrict network access to the agent caller surface and minimize the number of identities with even low-level caller access; enforce explicit owner binding or remove/disable operator-authored command cron jobs that lack it; move secrets and environment variables out of job definitions into a managed secret store and rotate any credential already reachable by a caller; disable unscheduled or dormant command jobs; and monitor and alert on unexpected job reads or forced executions for signs of abuse.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
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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EUVD-2026-87483
GHSA-x9x7-cfhj-26w6
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB