CVE-2026-40045: OpenClaw Android Accepted Cleartext Remote Gateway Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
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CVSS 5.7
CWE-319 CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-40045 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.7) android accepted cleartext remote gateway vulnerability (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves android accepted cleartext remote gateway endpoints and sent stored credentials over ws://. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.2.

CVE-2026-40045 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-40045
GHSA Identifier GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.7
CWE Classification CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.7

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-40045

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: 2026.4.2 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.2
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-2026-40045, 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 2026.4.2), 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-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, where the product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors. 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 Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, Android accepted non-loopback cleartext `ws://` gateway endpoints and would send stored gateway credentials over that connection. Discovery beacons or setup codes could therefore steer the client onto a cleartext remote endpoint. ## Impact A user who followed a forged discovery result or scanned a crafted setup code could disclose stored gateway credentials to an attacker-controlled endpoint in plaintext. This was a transport-security bug in the Android gateway client. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5` — require TLS for remote Android gateway endpoints ## Release Process Note The fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live. Thanks @zsxsoft for reporting.

CVE-2026-40045 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.2
2026.4.2

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9
NVD — CVE-2026-40045 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40045
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-cleartext-credential-transmission-via-unencrypted-websocket-gateway-endpoints

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-40045?
CVE-2026-40045 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Android accepted cleartext remote gateway endpoints and sent stored credentials over ws:// under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.2 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-40045?
Upgrading to 2026.4.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-40045?
CVE-2026-40045 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.7 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-40045?
CVE-2026-40045 is classified under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-40045?
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-83f3-hh45-vfw9",
  "modified" : "2026-04-24T21:04:43Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-07T18:16:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-40045" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Android accepted cleartext remote gateway endpoints and sent stored credentials over ws://",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nBefore OpenClaw 2026.4.2, Android accepted non-loopback cleartext `ws://` gateway endpoints and would send stored gateway credentials over that connection. Discovery beacons or setup codes could therefore steer the client onto a cleartext remote endpoint.\n\n## Impact\n\nA user who followed a forged discovery result or scanned a crafted setup code could disclose stored gateway credentials to an attacker-controlled endpoint in plaintext. This was a transport-security bug in the Android gateway client.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2`\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5` — require TLS for remote Android gateway endpoints\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nThe fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live.\n\nThanks @zsxsoft for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.4.2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.4.1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-83f3-hh45-vfw9"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40045"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/a941a4fef9bc43b2973c92d0dcff5b8a426210c5"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-cleartext-credential-transmission-via-unencrypted-websocket-gateway-endpoints"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200", "CWE-319" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-07T18:16:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-21T00:16:29Z"
  }
}