CVE-2026-22181: Openclaw OpenClaw's Web Tools Strict URL Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-22181 is a MODERATE openclaw's web tools strict url vulnerability (CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw's web tools strict url guard could lose dns pinning when env proxy is configured. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.2.
CVE-2026-22181 at a Glance
How to Fix CVE-2026-22181
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.
npm install openclaw@2026.3.2Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls openclawHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-22181, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze 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 2026.3.2), 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-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition, where the product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. 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
CVE-2026-22181 Affected Openclaw Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.3.2
|
2026.3.2
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-22181?
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-22181?
Is openclaw affected?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-22181?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-22181?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-8mvx-p2r9-r375",
"modified" : "2026-03-19T18:35:37Z",
"published" : "2026-03-03T21:19:47Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22181" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw's web tools strict URL guard could lose DNS pinning when env proxy is configured",
"details" : "### Summary\n`openclaw` web tools strict URL fetch paths could lose DNS pinning when environment proxy variables are configured (`HTTP_PROXY`/`HTTPS_PROXY`/`ALL_PROXY`, including lowercase variants).\n\nIn affected builds, strict URL checks (for example `web_fetch` and citation redirect resolution) validated one destination during SSRF guard checks, but runtime connection routing could proceed through an env-proxy dispatcher.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Vulnerable version range: `<= 2026.3.1`\n- Latest published npm version at triage time (2026-03-02): `2026.3.1`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.2` (released)\n\n### Technical Details\nThe SSRF guard performed hostname resolution and policy checks, then selected a request dispatcher.\n\nWhen env proxy settings were present, strict web-tool flows could use `EnvHttpProxyAgent` instead of the DNS-pinned dispatcher. This created a destination-binding gap between check-time resolution and connect-time routing.\n\nThe fix keeps DNS pinning on strict/untrusted web-tool URL paths and limits env-proxy bypass behavior to trusted/operator-controlled endpoints via an explicit dangerous opt-in.\n\n### Impact\nIn deployments with env proxy variables configured, attacker-influenced URLs from web tools could be routed through proxy behavior instead of strict pinned-destination routing, which could allow access to internal/private targets reachable from that proxy environment.\n\n### Mitigations\nBefore upgrading, operators can reduce exposure by clearing proxy env vars for OpenClaw runtime processes or disabling `web_fetch` / `web_search` where untrusted URL input is possible.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `345abf0b2e0f43b0f229e96f252ebf56f1e5549e`",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "openclaw"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2026.3.2"
} ]
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.1"
}
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8mvx-p2r9-r375"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22181"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/345abf0b2e0f43b0f229e96f252ebf56f1e5549e"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-dns-pinning-bypass-via-environment-proxy-configuration-in-web-fetch"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-367", "CWE-918" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T21:19:47Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-18T02:16:22Z"
}
}