Executive brief
OpenClaw is a web search tool that generates citations for retrieved content. Versions before 2026.3.1 contain a server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in how citation redirects are processed. An authenticated attacker can craft malicious citation URLs that force the OpenClaw server to make requests to internal networks, loopback addresses, or private systems, potentially exposing sensitive internal services or data.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a server-side request forgery (SSRF, CWE-918) in OpenClaw's web_search citation redirect resolution mechanism. The affected component used a permissive SSRF policy that allowed requests to private networks and loopback addresses. An authenticated attacker can influence citation redirect targets to point to internal network destinations, causing the OpenClaw server to fetch and process those URLs. This enables reconnaissance and potential exploitation of internal services. The fix (version 2026.3.1+) restricts the SSRF policy to strict/default settings that block localhost and private network redirects.
Affected products
- OpenClaw OpenClaw < 2026.3.1
Timeline
- 2026-03-02: disclosed
- 2026-03-01: patched: Fixed in version 2026.3.1
- 2026-03-19: advisory: Published as GHSA-44c9-4rg5-qjgq; withdrawn as duplicate of GHSA-g99v-8hwm-g76g on 2026-03-20