CVE-2026-28466

A remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in the gateway-to-node invocation path allowed an authenticated gateway client to bypass node-host exec approvals by injecting internal control fields into node.invoke parameters.

Affected Component

• Gateway method: node.invoke for node command system.run
• Node host runner: exec approval gating for system.run

Technical Details

The gateway forwarded user-controlled params to node hosts without sanitizing internal approval fields. The node host treated params.approved === true and/or params.approvalDecision as sufficient to skip the approval workflow.

Mitigations

• Upgrade to 2026.2.14 or later.
• Restrict access to the gateway (do not expose it to untrusted networks/users).
• Rotate gateway credentials if you suspect token/password exposure.
• Disable remote command execution on nodes by blocking system.run at the gateway (gateway.nodes.denyCommands) and/or by configuring node exec security to deny.

Credits

OpenClaw thanks @222n5 for reporting this issue.

If an attacker can authenticate to a gateway (for example via a leaked/shared gateway token or a paired device token with operator.write), they could execute arbitrary commands on connected node hosts that support system.run. This can lead to full compromise of developer workstations, CI runners, and servers running the node host.

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2026-28466 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Patched in OpenClaw 2026.2.14.

• Commits:
  • 318379cdb8d045da0009b0051bd0e712e5c65e2d
  • a7af646fdab124a7536998db6bd6ad567d2b06b0
  • c1594627421f95b6bc4ad7c606657dc75b5ad0ce
  • 0af76f5f0e93540efbdf054895216c398692afcd
• Gateway strips untrusted approval control fields from system.run user input.
• Gateway only re-attaches approval flags when params.runId references a valid exec.approval.request record and the request context matches. Approval IDs are bound to the requesting device identity (stable across reconnects), preventing replay by other clients.
• Gateway forwards only an allowlisted set of system.run parameters, preventing future control-field smuggling.

1. What is CVE-2026-28466? CVE-2026-28466 is a critical-severity improper input validation vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-28466? CVE-2026-28466 has a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). 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.
3. Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-28466? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.14 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-28466? Yes. CVE-2026-28466 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-28466 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-28466 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-28466 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-28466? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.14 or later.