Command execution via approval-timeout fail-open
Published Apr 28, 2026 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Execution-policy bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.4.8 allows remote authenticated users to run inline interpreter commands after approval timeout. The shared gateway/node exec-host approval flow converts a timed-out fallback into approvedByAsk or allow-once without reapplying strictInlineEval. Exploitation requires low-privileged network access, strictInlineEval, an inline interpreter request, and no explicit approval; successful use executes code on the selected host.
Summary
What happened
Execution-policy bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.4.8 allows remote authenticated users to run inline interpreter commands after approval timeout. The shared gateway/node exec-host approval flow converts a timed-out fallback into approvedByAsk or allow-once without reapplying strictInlineEval. Exploitation requires low-privileged network access, strictInlineEval, an inline interpreter request, and no explicit approval; successful use executes code on the selected host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-42423
- Published
- Apr 28, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 28, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-636, T1059
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 28, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <2026.4.8
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Upstream approval-timeout reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo