Summary
Browser-facing localhost mutation routes accepted cross-origin browser requests without explicit Origin/Referer validation. Loopback binding reduces remote exposure but does not prevent browser-initiated requests from malicious origins.
Affected Packages / Versions
- openclaw (npm): <= 2026.2.13
- clawdbot (npm): <= 2026.1.24-3
Details
The browser control servers bind to loopback but exposed mutating HTTP endpoints without a CSRF-style guard. Browsers may send cross-origin requests to loopback addresses; without explicit validation, state-changing operations could be triggered from a non-loopback Origin/Referer.
Fix Commit(s)
- openclaw/openclaw: b566b09f81e2b704bf9398d8d97d5f7a90aa94c3
Workarounds / Mitigations
- Enable browser control auth (token/password) and avoid running with auth disabled.
- Upgrade to a release that includes the fix.
Credits
- Reporter: @vincentkoc
Release Process Note
patched_versions is set to the planned next release version. Once that npm release is published, the advisory should be ready to publish with no further edits.
Impact
A malicious website can trigger unauthorized state changes against a victim's local OpenClaw browser control plane (for example opening tabs, starting/stopping the browser, mutating storage/cookies) if the browser control service is reachable on loopback in the victim's browser context.
A victim's authenticated browser session is used to submit forged requests to an application that cannot distinguish them from legitimate ones. Typical impact: state-changing actions performed as the victim without their consent.
CVE-2026-26317 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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.
Remediation advice
Mutating HTTP methods (POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE) are rejected when the request indicates a non-loopback Origin/Referer (or Sec-Fetch-Site: cross-site).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-26317? CVE-2026-26317 is a high-severity cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14. A victim's authenticated browser session is used to submit forged requests to an application that cannot distinguish them from legitimate ones.
- How severe is CVE-2026-26317? CVE-2026-26317 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-26317?
openclaw(npm) (versions < 2026.2.14)clawdbot(npm) (versions <= 2026.1.24-3)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-26317? Yes. CVE-2026-26317 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-26317 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-26317 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-2026-26317 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-2026-26317? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.14 or later.