# CVE-2026-45001: OpenClaw < 2026.4.20 - Gateway Config Mutation Guard Bypass via Agent Tool Access

> A prompt-injected model can bypass guards to modify protected operator settings like sandbox policies and authentication via gateway endpoints.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 May 2026
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7jm2-g593-4qrc, GHSA-9fc9-8v4x-f5cp, MINI-g4fg-57hw-wv3p, MINI-m65c-gj8r-87f9

## What is CVE-2026-45001?

CVE-2026-45001 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw, published on 11 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains a guard bypass vulnerability in the agent-facing gateway config.patch and config.apply endpoints that fails to protect operator-trusted settings including sandbox policy, plugin enablement, gateway auth/TLS, hook routing, MCP server configuration, SSRF policy, and filesystem hardening. A prompt-injected model with access to the owner-only gateway tool can persist unauthorized changes to protected operator settings.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-45001?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including openclaw. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openclaw` | npm | All versions | 2026.4.20 |
| `openclaw` | npm | All versions | 2026.4.20 |

Products: Openclaw Openclaw.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-45001?

Upgrade openclaw to 2026.4.20 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-45001 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45001 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Openclaw Openclaw

- [CVE-2026-28363](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-28363/): Security feature bypass in OpenClaw (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2026-30741](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-30741/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-33579](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33579/): OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Privilege Escalation via Missing Caller Scope Validation in Device Pair Approval (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2026-32922](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32922/): OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Privilege Escalation via Unvalidated Scope in device.token.rotate (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2026-32978](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32978/): OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Approval Bypass via Unrecognized Script Runners (critical 9.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-45001 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-45001 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw, published on 11 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45001 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- openclaw (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2026.4.20
- openclaw (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2026.4.20

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45001/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45001/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45001
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45001
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45001

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45001/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.