OpenClaw deployments before 2026.4.21 could treat a non-owner sender as authorized for owner-enforced slash commands when all of the following were true:
commands.enforceOwnerForCommands: true;allowFrom: ["*"];commands.ownerAllowFrom was configured.In that state, src/auto-reply/command-auth.ts reused the channel inbound wildcard as part of the command-owner decision. A sender who was not the owner could therefore pass the owner-command gate for commands such as /send, /config, or /debug on the affected channel.
The issue is limited to the command-owner authorization axis. It does not by itself grant owner-only tool access, host/sandbox access, or gateway administrator scope.
openclaw on npm<= 2026.4.202026.4.21The latest public release, 2026.4.21, contains the fix.
The fix requires a concrete owner identity or internal operator-admin scope when a plugin enforces owner-only commands. Wildcard channel allowFrom no longer implies wildcard command ownership.
Fix commits:
2aa93d44a1b2c7058c371f261fda2b5d4de4a882 on main995febb7b1e811ff6a1df5b18c22de94103f4c9f in the 2026.4.21 release lineUpgrade to [email protected] or later. Before upgrading, avoid wildcard/open-DM sender policy on owner-enforced channels, or configure commands.ownerAllowFrom to the intended owner identities.
OpenClaw thanks @zsxsoft for reporting.
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
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Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
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