OpenClaw: Owner-enforced commands could accept wildcard channel senders as command owners

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

5.3 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2026-44991: 0.24% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 14.86 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact OpenClaw deployments before 2026.4.21 could treat a non-owner sender as authorized for owner-enforced slash commands when all of the following were true: - a channel plugin declared commands.enforceOwnerForCommands: true; - the channel accepted wildcard inbound senders with allowFrom: [""]; - no explicit commands.ownerAllowFrom was configured. In that state, src/auto-reply/command-auth.ts reused the channel inbound wildcard as part of the command-owner decision. A sender who was not the owner could therefore pass the owner-command gate for commands such as /send, /config, or /debug on the affected channel. The issue is limited to the command-owner authorization axis. It does not by itself grant owner-only tool access, host/sandbox access, or gateway administrator scope. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw on npm - Affected versions: <= 2026.4.20 - Patched version: 2026.4.21 The latest public release, 2026.4.21, contains the fix. Patches The fix requires a concrete…

Published by the source

29 Apr 2026, 21:27 UTC

Last modified by the source

29 May 2026, 03:47 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:52 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-44991

Advisory: OpenClaw: Owner-enforced commands could accept wildcard channel senders as command owners
IDs: CVE-2026-44991, GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-44991 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:52 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.4.21. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.4.20; fixed in 2026.4.21

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls openclaw --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on openclaw.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v (OSV record GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.4.21 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-c28g-vh7m-fm7v lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.4.20)

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