An authentication bypass vulnerability in OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 allows low-privileged local clients to spoof owner context and achieve total system compromise.

This is an authentication bypass by spoofing (CWE-290) flaw where the application derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens and sender-owner header metadata, requiring low privileges to execute.

A successful exploit grants an attacker total system access and control over owner-gated operations, leading to potential data compromise and system downtime. The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a high severity rating that justifies immediate remediation to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.

Immediate Action: Update the OpenClaw package to version 2026.4.22 or later.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor local client access logs for anomalous requests attempting to manipulate header metadata or bearer tokens.

Compensating Controls: Restrict local user access and apply host-based controls to prevent unauthorized local processes from interacting with the service.

Public Exploit Available: False

Given the high severity and potential for total technical impact, organizations running vulnerable versions of OpenClaw should apply the update immediately. Upgrading to version 2026.4.22 eliminates the token spoofing vector and secures owner-gated operations against local privilege escalation attempts.