CVE-2026-53818: OpenClaw < 2026.4.24 - Owner-Only Tool Policy Bypass via MCP Loopback

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.6 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: 2026-06-11 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-862

Description

OpenClaw before 2026.4.24 contains an authorization bypass vulnerability in the MCP loopback feature that allows non-owner callers to skip owner-only tool policies and before-tool-call hooks. Attackers can invoke owner-only behavior through the affected loopback path to execute restricted tools when the feature is enabled and reachable.

Affected products

OpenClaw: before 2026.4.24 — fixed in 2026.4.24

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: OpenClaw 2026.4.24. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rj6p-xmxr-qj4h
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-owner-only-tool-policy-bypass-via-mcp-loopback

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