CVE-2026-42432: OpenClaw < 2026.4.8 - Command Escalation via Node Pairing Reconnect Bypass

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-04-28 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-863

Description

OpenClaw before 2026.4.8 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing previously paired nodes to reconnect with exec-capable commands without the operator.admin scope requirement. Attackers can bypass re-pairing authentication to execute privileged commands on the local assistant system.

Affected products

OpenClaw: before 2026.4.8 — fixed in 2026.4.8

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: OpenClaw 2026.4.8. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-5wj5-87vq-39xm
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-command-escalation-via-node-pairing-reconnect-bypass

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