CVE-2026-44118
OpenClaw < 2026.4.22 - Owner Context Spoofing via Bearer Token Header
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.5
OpenClaw < 2026.4.22 - Owner Context Spoofing via Bearer Token Header
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
CVE-2026-44118- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-28201
8.5
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
EUVD-2026-28201- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-35vf-vw9f-q3cr
8.5
Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
GHSA-35vf-vw9f-q3cr- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh
8.5
OpenClaw: MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens
Summary
MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: openclaw (npm)
- Affected versions: <= 2026.4.21
- Fixed version: 2026.4.22
Impact
The loopback MCP path accepted spoofable owner-context metadata from request headers, which could allow a non-owner loopback client to present itself as owner for owner-gated operations.
Fix
The MCP loopback runtime now issues separate owner and non-owner bearer tokens and derives senderIsOwner exclusively from which token authenticated the request. The spoofable sender-owner header is no longer emitted or trusted.
Fix Commit(s)
- 3cb1a56bfc9579a0f2336f9cfa12a8a744332a19
Verification
- The fix commit is contained in the public v2026.4.22 tag.
- [email protected] is published on npm and the compiled package contains the fix.
- Focused regression coverage for this path passed before publication.
OpenClaw thanks @VladimirEliTokarev for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.5
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
CVE-2026-44118- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.5
OpenClaw < 2026.4.22 - Owner Context Spoofing via Bearer Token Header
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
CVE-2026-44118- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-35vf-vw9f-q3cr
8.5
Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 derives loopback MCP owner context from spoofable server-issued bearer tokens in request headers. Non-owner loopback clients can present themselves as owner to bypass owner-gated operations by manipulating the sender-owner header metadata.
- Record
GHSA-35vf-vw9f-q3cr- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh
8.5
OpenClaw: MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens
Summary
MCP loopback owner context is derived from server-issued bearer tokens.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: openclaw (npm)
- Affected versions: <= 2026.4.21
- Fixed version: 2026.4.22
Impact
The loopback MCP path accepted spoofable owner-context metadata from request headers, which could allow a non-owner loopback client to present itself as owner for owner-gated operations.
Fix
The MCP loopback runtime now issues separate owner and non-owner bearer tokens and derives senderIsOwner exclusively from which token authenticated the request. The spoofable sender-owner header is no longer emitted or trusted.
Fix Commit(s)
- 3cb1a56bfc9579a0f2336f9cfa12a8a744332a19
Verification
- The fix commit is contained in the public v2026.4.22 tag.
- [email protected] is published on npm and the compiled package contains the fix.
- Focused regression coverage for this path passed before publication.
OpenClaw thanks @VladimirEliTokarev for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-44118 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.5) in Openclaw, published May 4, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.14%, the 3rd percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.4.22.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3cb1a56bfc9579a0f2336f9cfa12a8a744332a19
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-owner-context-spoofing-via-bearer-token-header
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44118
github.com/advisories/GHSA-35vf-vw9f-q3cr
github.com/advisories/GHSA-r6xh-pqhr-v4xh
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/44xxx/CVE-2026-44118.json
github.com/openclaw/openclaw