OpenClaw has an opt-in insecure Control UI auth over plaintext HTTP could allow privileged access
Description
In affected releases, when an operator explicitly enabled gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth: true and exposed the gateway over plaintext HTTP, Control UI authentication could permit privileged operator access without the intended device identity + pairing guarantees.
This required an insecure deployment choice and credential exposure risk (for example, plaintext transit or prior token leak). It was fixed on main in commit 40a292619e1f2be3a3b1db663d7494c9c2dc0abf (PR #20684).
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected published versions:
<= 2026.2.19-2 - Planned patched version:
2026.2.21
Impact
In these explicitly insecure deployments, an attacker with leaked/intercepted credentials could obtain high-privilege Control UI access.
Fix Commit(s)
40a292619e1f2be3a3b1db663d7494c9c2dc0abf(merged 2026-02-20)
OpenClaw thanks @Vasco0x4 for reporting.
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