Auth bypass in Openclaw
CVE-2026-42438
OpenClaw versions 2026.4.9 before 2026.4.10 contain a sender policy bypass vulnerability in the outbound host-media attachment read helper that allows unauthorized local file disclosure. Attackers with denied read access via toolsBySender or group policy can trigger host-media attachment loading to bypass sender and group-scoped authorization boundaries and retrieve readable local files through the outbound media path.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.7 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.004 (33.5th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 33rd percentile — 33.5% 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: 0.004 · change: +0.002
Affected products
- Openclaw — versions 2026.4.9, 2026.4.10
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-jhpv-5j76-m56h (vendor-advisory, Vendor Advisory)
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/c949af9fabf3873b5b7c484090cb5f5ab6049a98 (Patch, patch)
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sender-policy-bypass-in-host-media-attach… (Third Party Advisory, third-party-advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-42438?
- CVE-2026-42438 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openclaw, classified under Incorrect Authorization. CVSS score: 7.7/10. Published 2026-05-05.
- How severe is CVE-2026-42438?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.7 out of 10.