# CVE-2026-16119: nextlevelbuilder GoClaw incorrect authorization in WebSocket Approval Endpoint

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16119-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-incorrect-authorization-in-websocket  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-18. Updated: 2026-07-18  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-16119 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.3 · Published 2026-07-18

GoClaw, a tool for deploying AI agent teams, contains a security flaw in how it handles command approvals. When an administrator grants permanent permission for a specific command (like a shell utility), the system mistakenly trusts the entire utility rather than just that specific command. This allows an attacker with basic access to run any unauthorized command on the host system without further approval, potentially leading to full system takeover or data theft.

Technologies: [Nextlevelbuilder GoClaw](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/goclaw). Vendors: [Nextlevelbuilder](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/nextlevelbuilder).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-16119 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-16119 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-16119?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.3, published 18 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Nextlevelbuilder GoClaw <= 3.13.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-16119?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-16119 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-16119?** Check whether you run Nextlevelbuilder GoClaw at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

An incorrect authorization vulnerability exists in GoClaw's `RequestApproval` function within `internal/tools/exec_approval.go`. The root cause is a logic flaw in the approval cache where an 'allow-always' decision only persists the base binary name (extracted via `extractBin`) rather than the full command string or execution plan. For multiplexer binaries like BusyBox, approving a single benign command grants permanent trust to the binary itself. A remote attacker with operator-level authentication can exploit this by first getting a benign command approved and subsequently executing arbitrary shell payloads (e.g., `busybox sh -c ...`) without triggering additional approval prompts. This leads to arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the GoClaw process.

## Affected products

- nextlevelbuilder GoClaw <= 3.13.2

## Timeline

- 2026-07-18: disclosed
- 2026-07-18: advisory

## References

- [https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/](https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/)
- [https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/issues/1212](https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/issues/1212)
- [https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/issues/1212](https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/issues/1212)
- [https://vuldb.com/cve/CVE-2026-16119](https://vuldb.com/cve/CVE-2026-16119)
- [https://vuldb.com/submit/856825](https://vuldb.com/submit/856825)
- [https://vuldb.com/vuln/379828](https://vuldb.com/vuln/379828)
- [https://vuldb.com/vuln/379828/cti](https://vuldb.com/vuln/379828/cti)

## Related threats

- [nextlevelbuilder GoClaw Information Disclosure in jq Handler](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18038-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-information-disclosure-in-jq-handler)
- [nextlevelbuilder GoClaw authorization bypass in ExecTool.Execute](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16199-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-authorization-bypass-in-exectool-execute)
- [nextlevelbuilder GoClaw SSRF in web_fetch component](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16124-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-ssrf-in-web-fetch-component)
- [nextlevelbuilder GoClaw authorization bypass in ToolsInvokeHandler](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16123-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-authorization-bypass-in)
- [nextlevelbuilder GoClaw authorization bypass in exec approval flow](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-16122-nextlevelbuilder-goclaw-authorization-bypass-in-exec-approval)