CVE-2026-40045: 
OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot or Clawdbot) vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2026-40045 is a cleartext transmission vulnerability in OpenClaw (npm package) affecting all versions before 2026.4.2. The Android gateway client accepted non-loopback cleartext ws:// gateway endpoints and transmitted stored gateway credentials over unencrypted WebSocket connections. Discovery beacons or setup codes could steer clients to attacker-controlled cleartext endpoints, resulting in plaintext credential disclosure. The vulnerability was published on April 21, 2026, with a patch released in version 2026.4.2. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.7 (Medium) and a CVSS v4.0 base score of 5.9 (Medium) (GitHub Advisory, Feedly).

The root cause is classified as CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information). The OpenClaw Android client failed to enforce TLS for non-loopback remote gateway endpoints, allowing ws:// (unencrypted WebSocket) connections to external hosts. An attacker on an adjacent network could forge discovery results or craft malicious setup codes to redirect the client to an attacker-controlled endpoint; when the client connected, it would transmit stored gateway credentials in plaintext over the unencrypted channel. The fix (commit a941a4f) introduced a GatewayHostSecurity.kt module with robust loopback detection and enforced TLS (wss://) for all non-loopback gateway endpoints, while also validating scanned setup codes against the same loopback check before accepting them (GitHub Commit, GitHub Advisory).

Successful exploitation results in the disclosure of stored gateway credentials in plaintext to an attacker-controlled endpoint, representing a high confidentiality impact with no integrity or availability impact. An attacker positioned on the same network segment can harvest legitimate gateway credentials without requiring any system privileges, potentially enabling further unauthorized access to gateway-connected infrastructure. The scope is limited to the Android client component of OpenClaw and does not affect loopback or emulator bridge configurations (GitHub Advisory, Feedly).

There is no public proof-of-concept exploit and no evidence of in-the-wild exploitation at this time (Feedly). The EPSS score is approximately 0.009% (0.000090), indicating a very low probability of exploitation in the near term. The vulnerability requires user interaction (a user must follow a forged discovery result or scan a crafted setup code) and adjacent network positioning, which limits opportunistic exploitation. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The vulnerability was reported by researcher zsxsoft, sponsored by KeenSecurityLab (GitHub Advisory).

1. Reconnaissance: Identify OpenClaw Android clients on an adjacent network segment (e.g., shared Wi-Fi or LAN) running versions prior to 2026.4.2.
2. Forge discovery results or craft a setup code: Create a malicious discovery beacon or QR-based setup code that specifies a non-loopback ws:// gateway endpoint pointing to an attacker-controlled server.
3. Social engineering / delivery: Present the forged discovery result or crafted setup code to the target user (e.g., via a rogue access point, ARP spoofing, or physical QR code).
4. Victim interaction: The user follows the forged discovery result or scans the crafted setup code within the OpenClaw Android app, which accepts the cleartext ws:// endpoint without enforcing TLS.
5. Credential capture: The OpenClaw client connects to the attacker's WebSocket server over ws:// and transmits stored gateway credentials in plaintext, which the attacker captures using a simple WebSocket listener or network sniffer.
6. Credential abuse: The attacker uses the harvested gateway credentials to authenticate to the legitimate OpenClaw gateway and gain unauthorized access (GitHub Advisory, GitHub Commit).

• Network: Outbound ws:// (unencrypted WebSocket, TCP port 80 or non-standard ports) connections from Android devices running OpenClaw to non-loopback, non-local IP addresses; WebSocket handshake traffic (Upgrade: websocket) to unexpected external hosts on the local network.
• Network: Unusual mDNS/discovery beacon responses or QR code setup flows pointing to non-loopback IP addresses with ws:// scheme.
• Logs: OpenClaw application logs showing gateway connection attempts to non-loopback hosts over unencrypted WebSocket (ws://) prior to upgrading to 2026.4.2.
• Network: Presence of a rogue WebSocket server on the local network segment accepting connections on common gateway ports and receiving credential payloads.

The primary remediation is to upgrade OpenClaw (npm package) to version 2026.4.2 or later, which enforces TLS (wss://) for all non-loopback remote gateway endpoints and rejects cleartext ws:// connections to external hosts (GitHub Advisory, GitHub Commit). As a workaround prior to patching, ensure OpenClaw deployments are only accessible via loopback interfaces and implement network segmentation to restrict adjacent network access. Users should avoid scanning untrusted setup codes or following unverified discovery results until the patch is applied.

The vulnerability was reported by researcher zsxsoft and sponsored by KeenSecurityLab, with the advisory published by steipete on the OpenClaw GitHub repository (GitHub Advisory). No significant broader media coverage or notable social media commentary has been identified beyond standard vulnerability aggregator listings.