CVE-2026-45005 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.4.23. It is fixed in 2026.4.23.
Summary OpenClaw webhooks allowed route secrets to be backed by SecretRef values, but cached the resolved secret for a route. After an operator rotated the underlying secret and ran openclaw secrets reload, the previous resolved webhook secret could remain valid until the plugin or gateway restarted. Impact An attacker who already had a previously valid webhook route secret could continue authenticating webhook requests after the operator rotated the secret and reloaded secrets. This weakened credential rotation for webhook routes and could allow continued invocation of the configured webhook task flow until restart. Affected Packages / Versions Package: openclaw on npm Affected: versions before 2026.4.23 Fixed: 2026.4.23 Latest stable verified fixed: [email protected], tag v2026.4.23 Fix Webhook route authentication now resolves SecretRef-backed route secrets on each request. A rotated secret becomes effective after openclaw secrets reload without requiring a gateway or plugin restart, and the old secret is rejected. Fix Commit(s) 36c4a372a0ad5dca8bfc0d93f7aab9c2f2de66fa (fix(webhooks): reload route secrets per request) Severity Severity remains medium. The attack requires possession of a previously valid route secret, but the stale credential can continue to authorize webhook actions after rotation.
CVE-2026-45005 has a CVSS score of 6.0 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (2026.4.23). Upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
npm
openclaw (< 2026.4.23)openclaw → 2026.4.23 (npm)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 instead of chasing every advisory.
Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether CVE-2026-45005 is reachable in your applications. Explore open-source security for your team.
See if CVE-2026-45005 is reachable in your applications. Get a demo
Upgrade openclaw to 2026.4.23 or later to resolve this vulnerability.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
CVE-2026-45005 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.4.23. It is fixed in 2026.4.23.
CVE-2026-45005 has a CVSS score of 6.0 (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.
openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.4.23 is affected.
Yes. CVE-2026-45005 is fixed in 2026.4.23. Upgrade to this version or later.
Whether CVE-2026-45005 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
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.
Upgrade openclaw to 2026.4.23 or later.