CVE-2026-53814

OpenClaw before 2026.5.20 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where hook-triggered agent runs incorrectly receive owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of hook-appropriate scope. Attackers with a valid hook token can exploit the /hooks/agent endpoint to cause spawned CLI runtimes to access or invoke owner-only MCP tools, potentially executing privileged actions like persistent cron state modifications.

OpenClaw before 2026.5.20 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where hook-triggered agent runs incorrectly receive owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of hook-appropriate scope. Attackers with a valid hook token can exploit the /hooks/agent endpoint to cause spawned CLI runtimes to access or invoke owner-only MCP tools, potentially executing privileged actions like persistent cron state modifications.

Summary

OpenClaw hook ingress can start automated agent runs using a configured hook token. In affected releases, a hook-triggered run could select a bundled CLI backend that received owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of a scope appropriate for hook ingress.

This issue affects the boundary between hook-token automation and owner-only MCP tools. It does not affect deployments with hooks disabled.

Affected configurations

This affects deployments where hooks are enabled, /hooks/agent is reachable with a valid hook token, and a bundled CLI backend can be selected for the hook-triggered run.

Impact

A caller with the hook token could cause the spawned CLI runtime to see or call MCP tools that should have been owner-only. The practical impact depends on which MCP tools are available; the reported proof used persistent cron state as a representative owner-only action.

Patched Versions

The first stable patched version is 2026.5.20.

Fixed in the 2026.5.20 stable release.

Mitigations

Upgrade to [email protected] or later. Keep hook tokens secret, restrict network access to hook endpoints, and disable hooks when they are not needed.

OpenClaw before 2026.5.20 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where hook-triggered agent runs incorrectly receive owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of hook-appropriate scope. Attackers with a valid hook token can exploit the /hooks/agent endpoint to cause spawned CLI runtimes to access or invoke owner-only MCP tools, potentially executing privileged actions like persistent cron state modifications.

OpenClaw before 2026.5.20 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where hook-triggered agent runs incorrectly receive owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of hook-appropriate scope. Attackers with a valid hook token can exploit the /hooks/agent endpoint to cause spawned CLI runtimes to access or invoke owner-only MCP tools, potentially executing privileged actions like persistent cron state modifications.

Summary

OpenClaw hook ingress can start automated agent runs using a configured hook token. In affected releases, a hook-triggered run could select a bundled CLI backend that received owner-scoped MCP loopback authority instead of a scope appropriate for hook ingress.

This issue affects the boundary between hook-token automation and owner-only MCP tools. It does not affect deployments with hooks disabled.

Affected configurations

This affects deployments where hooks are enabled, /hooks/agent is reachable with a valid hook token, and a bundled CLI backend can be selected for the hook-triggered run.

Impact

A caller with the hook token could cause the spawned CLI runtime to see or call MCP tools that should have been owner-only. The practical impact depends on which MCP tools are available; the reported proof used persistent cron state as a representative owner-only action.

Patched Versions

The first stable patched version is 2026.5.20.

Fixed in the 2026.5.20 stable release.

Mitigations

Upgrade to [email protected] or later. Keep hook tokens secret, restrict network access to hook endpoints, and disable hooks when they are not needed.