Executive brief
OpenClaw, a gateway and automation platform, contains a flaw in how it validates trusted web addresses during connection retries. An attacker with basic access could trick the system into sending sensitive login credentials or authentication data to a server they control by using a web address that starts with a trusted name but is actually a different destination. This could lead to the theft of sensitive access tokens or service credentials.
Technical details
A hostname validation vulnerability exists in OpenClaw's retry endpoint logic due to incomplete string comparison (CWE-1023). The system validates trusted endpoints by checking if a hostname starts with a trusted string (prefix matching) rather than performing an exact match. A network-based attacker with low privileges can provide a malicious URL (e.g., 'trusted-host.attacker.com' instead of 'trusted-host.com') that passes validation. If successful, the application may transmit sensitive authentication material to the attacker-controlled endpoint. The issue is resolved in version 2026.5.7.
Affected products
- OpenClaw OpenClaw < 2026.5.7
Timeline
- 2026-05-28: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-06-12: disclosed: NVD publication and CVE assignment