CVE-2026-100557 in OpenClaw
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2026
OpenClaw versions before 2026.8.1 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability in skill tool dispatch that fails to carry the sender's owner status. Non-owner senders authorized to invoke skill commands can access owner-only tools and server credentials reserved for owners.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the OpenClaw software suite, specifically affecting versions released prior to 2026.8.1. This vulnerability constitutes a critical authorization bypass mechanism embedded in the system's skill tool dispatch logic. The core technical deficiency lies in how the application handles identity propagation during command execution. When a user initiates a request for a specific skill or tool, the internal dispatcher fails to correctly inherit and validate the sender's owner status from the initial authentication context into the subsequent authorization checks performed by individual tools. This architectural oversight means that while the system may verify that a non-owner has permission to invoke general skill commands, it neglects to enforce role-based access controls when those commands trigger specialized or privileged tool functions. Consequently, the security boundary between standard user privileges and administrative owner privileges is effectively neutralized for any action routed through this specific dispatch pathway.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability allows unauthorized users with basic invocation rights to escalate their privileges significantly. By leveraging skill tools that are intended exclusively for system owners, attackers can access sensitive server credentials and perform high-impact operations reserved for administrators. This capability undermines the fundamental principle of least privilege, as it permits lower-level entities to execute actions that require elevated trust levels. The impact is severe because server credentials provide direct control over underlying infrastructure, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specific requests that trigger the vulnerable dispatch mechanism, thereby bypassing standard authentication gates and gaining unauthorized access to protected resources without needing valid owner-level credentials for those specific tools.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category CWE-269, which addresses Improper Privilege Management, specifically where a user is granted privileges they are not authorized to possess due to flawed logic in privilege assignment or validation. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK tactic T1078, Valid Accounts, and more precisely sub-technique T1078.004, Cloud Accounts, if OpenClaw is deployed in a cloud environment, as it involves using valid but insufficiently privileged accounts to access higher-level resources. The failure to propagate owner status represents a classic case of broken object level authorization or improper control flow enforcement within the application's security model.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action must be taken by upgrading OpenClaw to version 2026.8.1 or any later release where the dispatch logic has been corrected to properly inherit and validate sender ownership status across all tool invocations. Until an upgrade is feasible, administrators should implement strict network-level access controls to restrict who can interact with the skill command interface. Additionally, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules designed to detect anomalous patterns in privilege escalation attempts may provide temporary protection by blocking requests that attempt to invoke owner-only tools from non-owner sessions. It is also recommended to audit existing logs for any indicators of compromise suggesting that this vulnerability has been actively exploited prior to patching, particularly looking for unauthorized access events involving server credentials or administrative tool usage originating from standard user accounts.