CVE-2026-25593
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOpenClaw is a personal AI assistant. Prior to 2026.1.20, an unauthenticated local client could use the Gateway WebSocket API to write config via config.apply and set unsafe cliPath values that were later used for command discovery, enabling command injection as the gateway user. This vulnerability is fixed in 2026.1.20.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceOpenClaw's Gateway WebSocket API allows unauthenticated local clients to write configuration via the config.apply method. The api sets unsafe cliPath values that are later used for command discovery, enabling command injection as the gateway user.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 2026.1.20CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify OpenClaw installation and versionLocate the OpenClaw installation directory and check the version manifest or version file. Common locations include /opt/openclaw, /usr/local/openclaw, or the application root directory. Look for a version file, package.json, or similar metadata that states the installed version.Affected if The installed version is less than 2026.1.20
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Verify Gateway WebSocket API is exposedCheck if the Gateway WebSocket service is running and accessible on its expected port (typically port 8080 or configured WebSocket port). Attempt a WebSocket connection to the Gateway endpoint without authentication credentials.Affected if The WebSocket API accepts connections without requiring authentication
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Confirm config.apply method is accessibleSend a WebSocket message invoking the config.apply method to the Gateway API without prior authentication. Structure the message according to the API's JSON-RPC format for the config.apply method.Affected if The config.apply method executes successfully without authentication
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Inspect cliPath configuration valueAfter calling config.apply or reviewing the active configuration, examine the cliPath setting stored in the Gateway configuration. Check if cliPath points to an attacker-controllable location or contains unsafe path values.Affected if The cliPath value is set to a location controllable by unauthenticated clients or contains path traversal sequences
A user is affected if their OpenClaw installation is version prior to 2026.1.20 AND the Gateway WebSocket API is accessible without authentication, allowing the config.apply method to set unsafe cliPath values for command injection.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2026.1.20
Upgrade to version 2026.1.20 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict unauthenticated access to the Gateway WebSocket API.
2026.1.20
- Upgrade Openclaw to version 2026.1.20 or later to resolve the command injection vulnerability via config.apply and unsafe cliPath values in the Gateway WebSocket API.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-25593 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-25593 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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