CVE-2026-53814: OpenClaw Hook-triggered CLI Runs Could Receive Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6fvr-66p3-3qj4
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CVSS 8.4
CWE-284 CWE-266 CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-53814 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.4) hook-triggered cli runs could receive vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves hook-triggered cli runs could receive owner mcp tool authority. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.5.20.

CVE-2026-53814 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-53814
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6fvr-66p3-3qj4
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.4
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-53814

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenClaw dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openclaw fixed: 2026.5.20 
npm install openclaw@2026.5.20
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls openclaw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-53814, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenClaw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.5.20), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls openclaw command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. In OpenClaw, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### 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 `openclaw@2026.5.20` or later. Keep hook tokens secret, restrict network access to hook endpoints, and disable hooks when they are not needed.

CVE-2026-53814 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.5.20
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.5.20
2026.5.20

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-6fvr-66p3-3qj4
NVD — CVE-2026-53814 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53814
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-hook-triggered-cli-mcp-tool-authority

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-53814?
CVE-2026-53814 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Hook-triggered CLI runs could receive owner MCP tool authority under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.5.20 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-53814?
Upgrading to 2026.5.20 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.5.20. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.5.20 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-53814?
CVE-2026-53814 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.4 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-53814?
CVE-2026-53814 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-53814?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6fvr-66p3-3qj4",
  "modified" : "2026-07-02T16:05:03Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-02T16:05:03Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-53814" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Hook-triggered CLI runs could receive owner MCP tool authority",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nOpenClaw 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.\n\nThis issue affects the boundary between hook-token automation and owner-only MCP tools. It does not affect deployments with hooks disabled.\n\n### Affected configurations\n\nThis 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.\n\n### Impact\n\nA 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.\n\n### Patched Versions\n\nThe first stable patched version is `2026.5.20`.\n\nFixed in the `2026.5.20` stable release.\n\n### Mitigations\n\nUpgrade to `openclaw@2026.5.20` or later. Keep hook tokens secret, restrict network access to hook endpoints, and disable hooks when they are not needed.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.5.20"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-6fvr-66p3-3qj4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53814"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-hook-triggered-cli-mcp-tool-authority"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200", "CWE-266", "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-02T16:05:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-11T21:16:23Z"
  }
}