Summary
OpenClaw's web tools strict URL guard could lose DNS pinning when env proxy is configured
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).
In 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.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Vulnerable version range:
<= 2026.3.1 - Latest published npm version at triage time (2026-03-02):
2026.3.1 - Patched versions:
>= 2026.3.2(released)
Technical Details
The SSRF guard performed hostname resolution and policy checks, then selected a request dispatcher.
When 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.
The 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.
Mitigations
Before 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.
Fix Commit(s)
345abf0b2e0f43b0f229e96f252ebf56f1e5549e
Impact
In 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.
Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside. Typical impact: access to internal metadata services, internal APIs, or cloud credentials.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-22181? CVE-2026-22181 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.3.1. It is fixed in 2026.3.2. Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-22181? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.3.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22181? Yes. CVE-2026-22181 is fixed in 2026.3.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-22181 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-22181 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-22181 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-22181? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.3.2 or later.