CVE-2026-26316 – This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass a... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2026-26316?

CVE-2026-26316 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication in OpenClaw's BlueBubbles iMessage plugin by sending webhook requests from localhost addresses without valid credentials. It affects OpenClaw installations with the optional BlueBubbles plugin enabled. The default iMessage integration is not vulnerable unless BlueBubbles is specifically installed and configured.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication in OpenClaw's BlueBubbles iMessage plugin by sending webhook requests from localhost addresses without valid credentials. It affects OpenClaw installations with the optional BlueBubbles plugin enabled. The default iMessage integration is not vulnerable unless BlueBubbles is specifically installed and configured.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

OpenClaw with BlueBubbles iMessage channel plugin

Versions: All versions prior to 2026.2.13

Operating Systems: All platforms running OpenClaw

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when BlueBubbles plugin is installed and enabled. Default iMessage integration without BlueBubbles is not affected.

📦 What is this software?

Openclaw by Openclaw

View all CVEs affecting Openclaw →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers with network access to localhost could send arbitrary webhook requests to the BlueBubbles plugin, potentially allowing unauthorized iMessage operations, data exfiltration, or integration with other attack chains.

🟠

Likely Case

In deployments with reverse proxies exposing the service, attackers could bypass authentication and send unauthorized webhook payloads to the BlueBubbles plugin.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper webhook secrets configured and strong upstream authentication, the vulnerability is effectively neutralized.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH if deployed behind a reverse proxy without strong upstream authentication, as attackers could exploit the localhost authentication bypass.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM as it requires local network access or ability to reach localhost interfaces, but could be exploited in containerized or multi-service environments.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires ability to send requests to localhost interface, which could be achieved through SSRF, reverse proxy misconfigurations, or local access.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2026.2.13

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-pchc-86f6-8758

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update OpenClaw to version 2026.2.13 or later. 2. Restart the OpenClaw service. 3. Verify the BlueBubbles plugin properly validates webhook secrets.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Set BlueBubbles webhook password

all

Configure a non-empty, strong webhook secret/password for the BlueBubbles plugin

# Configure in OpenClaw BlueBubbles plugin settings
# Set 'webhook_secret' to a strong random value

Implement strong upstream authentication

all

Ensure reverse proxies or gateways have proper authentication before forwarding to OpenClaw

# Configure reverse proxy (nginx/apache) authentication
# Example nginx: auth_basic 'Restricted'; auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable the BlueBubbles plugin if not required
Implement network segmentation to restrict access to OpenClaw's localhost interface

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if OpenClaw version is below 2026.2.13 AND BlueBubbles plugin is enabled without a webhook secret configured.

Check Version:

openclaw --version or check package manager (apt/dnf/yum) for installed version

Verify Fix Applied:

After updating to 2026.2.13+, test that webhook requests without correct secret are rejected even from localhost.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Failed authentication attempts from localhost addresses
Webhook requests processed without secret validation
Unauthorized BlueBubbles plugin activity

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests to BlueBubbles webhook endpoint without authentication headers
Localhost-originating requests to webhook ports

SIEM Query:

source="openclaw.log" AND ("authentication failed" OR "webhook processed" OR "BlueBubbles") AND (src_ip="127.0.0.1" OR src_ip="::1")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2026-26316

CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)

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

CWE: CWE-863

Published: February 19, 2026

Last Updated: February 24, 2026

🔗 References

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/743f4b28495cdeb0d5bf76f6ebf4af01f6a02e5a Patch
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/f836c385ffc746cb954e8ee409f99d079bfdcd2f Patch
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.13 Product,Release Notes
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-pchc-86f6-8758 Patch,Vendor Advisory

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