CVE-2026-28466 – OpenClaw gateway versions before 2026.2.14 have... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2026-28466?

CVE-2026-28466 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (CRITICAL). OpenClaw gateway versions before 2026.2.14 have an authorization bypass vulnerability where authenticated clients can manipulate node.invoke parameters to bypass execution approval controls. This allows attackers with valid gateway credentials to run arbitrary system commands on connected node hosts, potentially compromising developer workstations and CI/CD runners.

📋 TL;DR

OpenClaw gateway versions before 2026.2.14 have an authorization bypass vulnerability where authenticated clients can manipulate node.invoke parameters to bypass execution approval controls. This allows attackers with valid gateway credentials to run arbitrary system commands on connected node hosts, potentially compromising developer workstations and CI/CD runners.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

OpenClaw

Versions: All versions prior to 2026.2.14

Operating Systems: All platforms running OpenClaw

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems where the gateway is configured to handle node.invoke requests with system.run commands.

⚠️ Manual Verification Required

This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.

Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).

🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.

Recommended Actions:

Review the CVE details at NVD
Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete compromise of all connected node hosts, including developer workstations and CI runners, leading to data theft, lateral movement, and potential supply chain attacks.

🟠

Likely Case

Attackers with stolen or compromised gateway credentials execute arbitrary commands on connected nodes, potentially gaining persistent access to development environments.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper network segmentation, least privilege access, and command allowlisting are implemented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Gateway must be internet-facing and attackers need valid credentials, but exploitation could lead to significant impact.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Internal attackers or compromised credentials can bypass approval controls to execute arbitrary commands on connected systems.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires valid gateway credentials but is straightforward once credentials are obtained. The vulnerability is in authorization logic rather than complex memory corruption.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2026.2.14 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-gv46-4xfq-jv58

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update OpenClaw to version 2026.2.14 or later. 2. Restart the OpenClaw gateway service. 3. Verify the patch is applied by checking the version.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable system.run commands

all

Temporarily disable system.run functionality in node.invoke parameters until patching is complete.

# Edit OpenClaw configuration to remove or comment out system.run command handlers

Implement network segmentation

all

Isolate OpenClaw gateway from sensitive systems and implement strict firewall rules.

# Configure firewall to restrict OpenClaw gateway access to only necessary systems

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict command allowlisting for system.run operations
Enforce multi-factor authentication for all gateway credentials and rotate credentials immediately

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check OpenClaw version: if version is less than 2026.2.14, the system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

openclaw --version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify OpenClaw version is 2026.2.14 or later and test that approval controls properly validate node.invoke parameters.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unauthorized system.run commands in gateway logs
node.invoke requests with modified approval fields
Failed approval checks for system.run operations

Network Indicators:

Unusual command execution patterns from gateway to nodes
Suspicious system commands originating from gateway

SIEM Query:

source="openclaw_gateway" AND (command="system.run" OR parameter="node.invoke") AND approval_status="bypassed"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2026-28466

CVSS v3 Score: 9.9 (CRITICAL)

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

CWE: CWE-863

Published: March 5, 2026

Last Updated: March 6, 2026

🔗 References

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