Executive brief
OpenClaw, a gateway and agent platform, contains a security flaw in how it identifies users on the Zalo messaging platform. An attacker can change their display name to impersonate a trusted contact, potentially intercepting sensitive automated responses or data intended for someone else. This could lead to unauthorized access to private communications or automated agent services.
Technical details
OpenClaw before version 2026.5.3 is vulnerable to an authentication bypass (CWE-290) within its Zalo integration. The 'allowFrom' policy enforcement mechanism incorrectly relies on mutable display metadata rather than immutable unique identifiers. A remote attacker with low privileges (a Zalo contact) can modify their display name to match a trusted identity, causing the system to route agent responses and sensitive data to the attacker. This vulnerability requires the Zalo feature to be enabled and configured with display-name-based policies. The issue is resolved in version 2026.5.3 by binding policies to stable identifiers.
Affected products
- OpenClaw openclaw < 2026.5.3
Timeline
- 2026-05-28: advisory: Original GHSA-8c59-hr4w-qg69 published
- 2026-06-16: disclosed: NVD publication of CVE-2026-53857
- 2026-06-18: other: Duplicate advisory GHSA-w7m7-3xcf-mp48 withdrawn