How to Fix CVE-2026-26326: Information Disclosure in openclaw
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*By Sai Kiran Pandrala*
| Severity | CVSS 5.3 - Medium |
|---|---|
| Actively exploited? | Not currently listed in CISA KEV |
| Affected | < 2026.2.14 |
| Fixed in | See vendor advisory |
| Type (CWE) | CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor |
What is CVE-2026-26326?
CVE-2026-26326 is an information disclosure flaw in openclaw. The product returns sensitive data to a caller who should not have access, including credentials, session tokens, or configuration. Disclosure often feeds a follow-up attack chain. Vendor description: OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant. Prior to version 2026.2.14, skills.status could disclose secrets to operator.read clients by returning raw resolved config values in configChecks for skill requires.config paths.
Why this CVE matters
Information disclosure flaws are dangerous because they make the next attack easier. Sensitive configuration, session material, or credentials leaked from one endpoint frequently power the follow-on attack that actually takes over the system.
For deployments of openclaw that have been exposed to the public internet during the disclosure window, the operating assumption should be that scanning has already happened. Even where exploitation has not been publicly observed, scanning for the vulnerable fingerprint is cheap and routine. Patching closes the door; log review and credential rotation close out the rest of the response.
Am I affected?
You are affected if your installation matches any of these version ranges:
- openclaw: < 2026.2.14
Check your installed version against the list above. If you cannot determine the version, treat the system as affected and follow the upgrade path below.
Open openclaw's About dialog or run the vendor-documented version-check command. Compare the result against the affected ranges in the advisory.
How to fix CVE-2026-26326
- Read the vendor advisory in full: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mh7-phf8-xgfm
- Upgrade openclaw to the patched build listed in the vendor advisory.
- Back up the configuration (and database, where applicable) before upgrading.
- Apply the patch in a maintenance window. For HA pairs, upgrade the standby node first, fail over, then upgrade the former primary.
- Restart the affected service so the patched binary loads, then verify the new version (see verification section).
The commands below are runnable starting points. Adapt the package name, target version, and host paths to your environment using the vendor advisory linked under References.
npm / Yarn / pnpm
# Vendor advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mh7-phf8-xgfm
# Update to the patched release named in the advisory
npm install openclaw@latest
# or pin to the exact fixed version from the vendor advisory
npm install openclaw@<patched-version>
npm ls openclaw
PyPI (pip / Poetry)
# Vendor advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mh7-phf8-xgfm
pip install --upgrade openclaw
pip show openclaw | grep -i version
# Poetry:
poetry add openclaw@^<patched-version>
Docker / container
# Vendor advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mh7-phf8-xgfm
docker pull <your-registry>/openclaw:<patched-tag>
docker stop <app> && docker rm <app>
docker run -d --name <app> <your-registry>/openclaw:<patched-tag>
PowerShell detect/upgrade/verify/log (Windows)
# CVE-2026-26326 remediation runner. Adapt version checks to your environment.
$log = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-26326-fix.log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path (Split-Path $log) | Out-Null
function Write-Log($msg) { "$(Get-Date -Format s) $msg" | Out-File $log -Append }
try {
Write-Log "Detect: checking installed product"
$installed = Get-CimInstance Win32_Product -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Where-Object { $_.Name -match 'openclaw' }
if (-not $installed) { Write-Log "Product not installed; nothing to do"; return }
Write-Log "Found version $($installed.Version)"
Write-Log "Backup: copying program files and registry hive"
$stamp = Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmm
$backup = "C:\Backup\CVE-2026-26326-$stamp"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $backup | Out-Null
Copy-Item $installed.InstallLocation $backup -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
reg export HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall "$backup\uninstall.reg" /y | Out-Null
Write-Log "Upgrade: install patched build via vendor MSI / Windows Update"
Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Log "Verify: re-reading product version"
$after = Get-CimInstance Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -match 'openclaw' }
Write-Log "Post-patch version: $($after.Version)"
if ($after.Version -ne $installed.Version) { Write-Log "SUCCESS: version changed" } else { Write-Log "WARN: version unchanged; check vendor advisory" }
} catch {
Write-Log "ERROR: $_"
throw
}
Bash detect/upgrade/verify/log (Linux)
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# CVE-2026-26326 remediation runner. Re-runnable, exits non-zero on failure.
set -euo pipefail
log() { printf '%s %s\n' "$(date -Is)" "$*" | tee -a /var/log/cve-2026-26326-fix.log; }
log "Detect: current openclaw version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
current=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' openclaw 2>/dev/null || echo "not-installed")
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null 2>&1; then
current=$(rpm -q --qf '%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}' openclaw 2>/dev/null || echo "not-installed")
else
current="unknown"
fi
log "Current: $current"
log "Backup: snapshotting config"
backup="/var/backups/cve-2026-26326-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)"
mkdir -p "$backup"
[ -d /etc/openclaw ] && cp -a /etc/openclaw "$backup/" || true
log "Upgrade: applying vendor patch"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null 2>&1; then
sudo apt-get update -qq
sudo apt-get install -y --only-upgrade openclaw
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null 2>&1; then
sudo dnf upgrade -y openclaw
elif command -v yum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
sudo yum update -y openclaw
fi
log "Verify: re-reading openclaw version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null 2>&1; then
after=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' openclaw)
else
after=$(rpm -q --qf '%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}' openclaw)
fi
log "After: $after"
if [ "$after" != "$current" ]; then
log "SUCCESS: openclaw upgraded"
else
log "WARN: version unchanged. Confirm the patched build is in your repository."
exit 1
fi
If you cannot patch immediately
No official workaround exists beyond restricting network exposure to the affected component. Apply the vendor patch as the primary remediation.
How to verify the fix worked
- After applying the patch, verify the running version in the product's admin UI or via the vendor-documented CLI command.
- Confirm the patched build matches the version listed in the vendor advisory.
- Run an authenticated vulnerability scan with a current signature set and confirm the scanner no longer flags CVE-2026-26326.
- Review logs for the entire pre-patch window for indicators of compromise listed in the vendor or CISA advisory.
- Confirm any network-layer mitigations that were applied as a stopgap have been reverted (or left in place intentionally) once the patch is verified.
If your installation was internet-reachable during the disclosure window, treat log review as part of the remediation rather than an optional follow-up. Look for unusually long URI paths containing traversal sequences, unexpectedly large responses from the affected endpoint, and outbound requests from the application to internal addresses or cloud-metadata endpoints. Treat any sensitive file the bug could disclose as exposed.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2026-26326 being exploited in the wild?
Public exploitation has not been confirmed by CISA at the time of writing. Treat the patch as time-sensitive anyway; reports often lag actual abuse.
Will a WAF or IDS rule fully mitigate CVE-2026-26326?
No. Network-layer filters can reduce noise and slow opportunistic scanners, but they will not stop a determined attacker. The vendor patch is the only durable fix.
How long should I plan for the upgrade?
Typical vendor-documented upgrade windows for openclaw run from a few minutes to under an hour depending on cluster size. Test in a staging environment first and follow the vendor's documented HA upgrade order.
References
- Official vendor advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mh7-phf8-xgfm
- NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26326
- CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- Additional vendor or research reference: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d3428053d95eefbe10ecf04f92218ffcba55ae5a
- Additional vendor or research reference: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/ebc68861a61067fc37f9298bded3eec9de0ba783
- Additional vendor or research reference: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.14
*This guide was assembled from the official vendor advisory, the NVD record, and the CISA KEV catalog entry on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor advisory before applying changes in production.*