Summary
The OpenClaw Nostr channel plugin (optional, disabled by default, installed separately) exposes profile management HTTP endpoints under /api/channels/nostr/:accountId/profile (GET/PUT) and /api/channels/nostr/:accountId/profile/import (POST). In affected versions, these routes were dispatched via the gateway plugin HTTP layer without requiring gateway authentication, allowing unauthenticated remote callers to read or mutate the Nostr profile and persist changes to the gateway config. Profile updates are also published as a signed Nostr kind:0 event using the bot's private key.
Deployments that do not have the Nostr plugin installed and enabled are not impacted.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.2.9 - Fixed versions:
>= 2026.2.12 - Scope note: only affects deployments with the optional
@openclaw/nostrplugin installed and enabled
Details
This is exploitable when the gateway HTTP port is reachable beyond localhost (for example: bound to 0.0.0.0, exposed on a LAN, behind a reverse proxy, or via Tailscale Funnel/Serve).
Unauthenticated callers could update the Nostr profile and persist the new profile in the gateway config.
Mitigation
Upgrade to openclaw 2026.2.12 or later.
As a temporary mitigation, restrict gateway HTTP exposure (bind loopback-only and/or enforce network-layer access controls) until upgraded.
Impact
A critical operation is accessible without requiring any authentication. Typical impact: any user can invoke the privileged function.
CVE-2026-28450 has a CVSS score of 6.2 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (2026.2.12); 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
Gateway now requires gateway authentication for plugin HTTP requests under /api/channels/* before dispatching to plugin handlers.
Fix commit(s):
- 647d929c9d0fd114249230d939a5cb3b36dc70e7
Thanks @simecek for reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-28450? CVE-2026-28450 is a medium-severity missing authentication for critical function vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.12. It is fixed in 2026.2.12. A critical operation is accessible without requiring any authentication.
- How severe is CVE-2026-28450? CVE-2026-28450 has a CVSS score of 6.2 (Medium). 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 versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-28450? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-28450? Yes. CVE-2026-28450 is fixed in 2026.2.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-28450 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-28450 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-2026-28450 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-2026-28450? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.12 or later.