Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-28466: OpenClaw Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Node Invoke Approval Bypass in Gateway
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.14 contain a vulnerability in the gateway in which it fails to sanitize internal approval fields in node.invoke parameters, allowing authenticated clients to bypass exec approval gating for system.run commands.
CVSS 9.4 Critical EPSS 0.7% · p52
Should you act?
Critical, preconditions apply
Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.7%, percentile 52: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 52% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
openclaw(npm) < 2026.2.14, fixed in 2026.2.14. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.14 contain a vulnerability in the gateway in which it fails to sanitize internal approval fields in node.invoke parameters, allowing authenticated clients to bypass exec approval gating for system.run commands. Attackers with valid gateway credentials can inject approval control fields to execute arbitrary commands on connected node hosts, potentially compromising developer workstations and CI runners.
From the GitHub advisory
Summary
A remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in the gateway-to-node invocation path allowed an authenticated gateway client to bypass node-host exec approvals by injecting internal control fields into node.invoke parameters.
Affected Component
- Gateway method: node.invoke for node command system.run - Node host runner: exec approval gating for system.run
Impact
Weakness type: CWE-863, CWE-20, CWE-441.
Product: openclaw (npm) · Assigned by: VulnCheck · Published: 2026-03-05
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | openclaw | < 2026.2.14 | 2026.2.14 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw | OpenClaw | < 2026.2.14 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| VulnCheck | 4.0 | 9.4 Critical | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
| VulnCheck | 3.1 | 9.9 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 4.0 | 9.4 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Attack requirements: none
- Privileges required: low (any account)
- User interaction: none
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact partial.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.70% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 52.
Timeline
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-gv46-4xfq-jv58 published (critical)
- — CVE record published by VulnCheck
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-gv46-4xfq-jv58) github.com
- Patch Commit #1 github.com
- Patch Commit #2 github.com
- Patch Commit #3 github.com
- Patch Commit #4 github.com
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-gv46-4xfq-jv58 github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-28466 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-28466 nvd.nist.gov