CVE-2026-62218 in OpenClaw
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2026
OpenClaw 2026.1.20 before 2026.5.27 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability in the device.pair.approve feature that allows lower-trust callers to bypass role-management checks. Attackers can perform actions requiring stronger authorization by reaching the affected feature through configured input paths.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2026
The vulnerability in OpenClaw version 2026.1.20 before 2026.5.27 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the device.pair.approve functionality that fundamentally undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from insufficient validation of caller privileges during the device pairing approval process, creating a pathway for unauthorized entities to escalate their privileges and execute operations typically restricted to higher-privilege users. The flaw specifically affects the role-management checks that should normally enforce strict authorization boundaries between different trust levels within the application's security architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where the device.pair.approve feature does not properly validate whether incoming requests originate from callers with appropriate authorization levels. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate input parameters or exploit specific code paths that bypass the intended access controls, effectively enabling lower-trust entities to assume higher privileges within the system's security framework. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through carefully crafted requests that leverage legitimate input processing pathways.
From an operational impact perspective, this authorization bypass vulnerability creates significant risk exposure for systems relying on OpenClaw's device pairing functionality. Attackers who successfully exploit this flaw can perform privileged operations including but not limited to device management actions, configuration changes, data access modifications, and potentially escalate their control to affect other system components. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it undermines the entire trust model of the application's security architecture, potentially allowing attackers to gain persistent access to critical system functions.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems and represents a common pattern in access control implementation failures. The exploitation mechanism also correlates with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage and privilege escalation tactics. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the 2026.5.27 version or later, strengthening input validation for device pairing operations, implementing additional authorization checks beyond the current role management system, and monitoring for suspicious access patterns during device pairing activities. Network segmentation and least-privilege access controls should be enforced around affected components to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability highlights critical gaps in the security design of device management features and underscores the importance of comprehensive authorization testing during software development lifecycle processes. Organizations using OpenClaw should conduct thorough security assessments of their pairing workflows and ensure proper privilege separation mechanisms are implemented across all application components that handle sensitive operations. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on access control points can help identify similar weaknesses in other system components that may not yet be publicly disclosed but could present comparable risks to system integrity and confidentiality.