CVE-2026-40045
OpenClaw < 2026.4.2 - Cleartext Credential Transmission via Unencrypted WebSocket Gateway Endpoints
OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 accepts non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmits stored gateway credentials over unencrypted connections. Attackers can forge discovery results or craft setup codes to redirect clients to malicious endpoints, disclosing plaintext gateway credentials.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
OpenClaw < 2026.4.2 - Cleartext Credential Transmission via Unencrypted WebSocket Gateway Endpoints
OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 accepts non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmits stored gateway credentials over unencrypted connections. Attackers can forge discovery results or craft setup codes to redirect clients to malicious endpoints, disclosing plaintext gateway credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-40045- CVSS 4.0
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-319
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-23995
OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 accepts non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmits stored gateway credentials over unencrypted connections. Attackers can forge discovery results or craft setup codes to redirect clients to malicious endpoints, disclosing plaintext gateway credentials.
- Record
EUVD-2026-23995- CVSS 4.0
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
OpenClaw: Android accepted cleartext remote gateway endpoints and sent stored credentials over ws://
Summary
Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, Android accepted non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and would send stored gateway credentials over that connection. Discovery beacons or setup codes could therefore steer the client onto a cleartext remote endpoint.
Impact
A user who followed a forged discovery result or scanned a crafted setup code could disclose stored gateway credentials to an attacker-controlled endpoint in plaintext. This was a transport-security bug in the Android gateway client.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.4.1 - Patched versions:
>= 2026.4.2 - Latest published npm version:
2026.4.1
Fix Commit(s)
a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5— require TLS for remote Android gateway endpoints
Release Process Note
The fix is present on main and is staged for OpenClaw 2026.4.2. Publish this advisory after the 2026.4.2 npm release is live.
Thanks @zsxsoft for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9- CVSS 4.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-319
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 accepts non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmits stored gateway credentials over unencrypted connections. Attackers can forge discovery results or craft setup codes to redirect clients to malicious endpoints, disclosing plaintext gateway credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-40045- CVSS 4.0
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-319
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
OpenClaw < 2026.4.2 - Cleartext Credential Transmission via Unencrypted WebSocket Gateway Endpoints
OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 accepts non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmits stored gateway credentials over unencrypted connections. Attackers can forge discovery results or craft setup codes to redirect clients to malicious endpoints, disclosing plaintext gateway credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-40045- CVSS 4.0
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-319
- Updated
- 2026-11-11
OSVGHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
OpenClaw: Android accepted cleartext remote gateway endpoints and sent stored credentials over ws://
Summary
Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, Android accepted non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and would send stored gateway credentials over that connection. Discovery beacons or setup codes could therefore steer the client onto a cleartext remote endpoint.
Impact
A user who followed a forged discovery result or scanned a crafted setup code could disclose stored gateway credentials to an attacker-controlled endpoint in plaintext. This was a transport-security bug in the Android gateway client.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.4.1 - Patched versions:
>= 2026.4.2 - Latest published npm version:
2026.4.1
Fix Commit(s)
a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5— require TLS for remote Android gateway endpoints
Release Process Note
The fix is present on main and is staged for OpenClaw 2026.4.2. Publish this advisory after the 2026.4.2 npm release is live.
Thanks @zsxsoft for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9- CVSS 4.0
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-319
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-40045 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Openclaw, published April 7, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.12%, the 1st percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.4.2.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-cleartext-credential-transmission-via-unencrypted-websocket-gateway-endpoints
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40045