Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-28472: OpenClaw's gateway connect could skip device identity checks when auth.token was present but not yet validated
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 contain a vulnerability in the gateway WebSocket connect handshake in which it allows skipping device identity checks when auth.token is present but not validated.
CVSS 9.2 Critical EPSS 0.7% · p51
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. 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 51: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 51% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
openclaw(npm) < 2026.2.2, fixed in 2026.2.2. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 contain a vulnerability in the gateway WebSocket connect handshake in which it allows skipping device identity checks when auth.token is present but not validated. Attackers can connect to the gateway without providing device identity or pairing by exploiting the presence check instead of validation, potentially gaining operator access in vulnerable deployments.
From the GitHub advisory
Summary
The gateway WebSocket connect handshake could allow skipping device identity checks when auth.token was present but not yet validated.
Details
In src/gateway/server/ws-connection/message-handler.ts, the device-identity requirement could be bypassed based on the presence of a non-empty connectParams.auth.token rather than a validated shared-secret authentication result.
Impact
Weakness type: CWE-306.
Product: openclaw (npm) · Assigned by: VulnCheck · Published: 2026-03-05
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | openclaw | < 2026.2.2 | 2026.2.2 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw | OpenClaw | < 2026.2.2 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| VulnCheck | 4.0 | 9.2 Critical | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| VulnCheck | 3.1 | 8.1 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 4.0 | 9.3 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: high (needs special conditions)
- Attack requirements: none
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- 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 total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.65% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 51.
Timeline
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-rv39-79c4-7459 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-rv39-79c4-7459) github.com
- Patch Commit github.com
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-rv39-79c4-7459 github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-28472 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-28472 nvd.nist.gov