CVE-2026-62207 in OpenClaw
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2026
OpenClaw versions before 2026.6.5 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows lower-trust callers to reach admin-scoped tools. Attackers can perform actions requiring stronger authorization by exploiting insufficient policy checks on configured input paths.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2026
The OpenClaw authentication bypass vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the system's access control mechanisms and allows unauthorized privilege escalation. This vulnerability affects all versions prior to 2026.6.5 and stems from inadequate policy validation during input processing, specifically within configured input paths that should enforce strict authorization checks. The flaw enables attackers with lower trust levels to gain access to administrative tools and functionalities that require higher authorization levels.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where the system does not adequately validate user credentials or roles before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. This type of flaw commonly manifests as insufficient input validation or missing authorization checks in the application's security layer, allowing malicious actors to manipulate request parameters or bypass normal authentication flows. The vulnerability specifically targets the policy enforcement points within the configured input paths, which should serve as gatekeepers for privileged operations.
From an operational perspective, this authentication bypass creates significant risk exposure for systems relying on OpenClaw versions before 2026.6.5. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform administrative actions such as system configuration changes, user management, data manipulation, and access control modifications without proper authorization. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive operational functions that should be restricted to authorized administrators only.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering attacks that could leverage such weaknesses. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to version 2026.6.5 or later, implementing additional input validation controls, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of all configured input paths. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative access patterns can provide additional defensive layers while the primary fix is implemented through proper authorization enforcement mechanisms.
The remediation approach requires thorough code review of authentication and authorization modules, particularly focusing on how input paths are validated and processed. Security teams should also establish robust logging and monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative functions and regular security testing can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future system versions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to identify and address authorization flaws before deployment.