Privilege escalation in Openclaw
CVE-2026-100578
OpenClaw (npm package `openclaw`) before 2026.7.1 fails to restrict owner-only infrastructure tools exposed through the chat.send endpoint. In Gateway deployments using authentication modes that honor caller identity and narrower operator scopes, a write-scoped non-owner caller can start a chat turn whose tool inventory includes the `gateway` and `cron` tools, causing the agent to invoke owner-only configuration or scheduling operations, including persistent state changes. Practical impact depends on the tools selected by the model and the caller's ability to steer the turn. Shared-secret token and password callers are treated as fully trusted operators under OpenClaw's security model and are outside the scope of this issue. The issue is fixed in 2026.7.1; as a workaround, restrict chat.send to administrators in identity-bearing deployments and remove `gateway` and `cron` from affected agent tool policies.
Vulnerability class: Privilege Escalation
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.6 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.002 (13.6th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 14th percentile — 13.6% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.002 · newest: 0.002 · change: 0.000
Affected products
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-qw7m-h363-33qw) (vendor-advisory)
- VulnCheck Advisory: OpenClaw before 2026.7.1 Authorization Bypass via chat.send (third-party-advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-100578?
- CVE-2026-100578 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openclaw, classified under Improper Privilege Management. CVSS score: 7.6/10. Published 2026-09-26.
- How severe is CVE-2026-100578?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.6 out of 10.