CVE-2026-53832

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

OpenClaw Identity Header Forgery Leading to Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-06-12

Last updated on: 2026-06-16

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

OpenClaw before 2026.5.18 contains an identity header validation vulnerability allowing local same-host callers to forge trusted-proxy identity headers. Attackers with access to the proxy-facing Gateway port can supply forged identity headers to assume operator identity and potentially escalate privileges.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-06-12

Last Modified

2026-06-16

Generated

2026-07-03

AI Q&A

2026-06-13

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-02

NVD

CVE-2026-53832

EUVD

EUVD-2026-36620

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
openclaw	openclaw	to 2026.5.18 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-290	This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in OpenClaw versions before 2026.5.18 and involves a flaw in identity header validation. It allows local users on the same host who have access to the proxy-facing Gateway port to forge trusted-proxy identity headers. By doing so, attackers can impersonate an operator identity.

Essentially, the system does not properly verify identity headers, enabling attackers to supply fake headers and potentially escalate their privileges.

Impact Analysis

The impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker with local access to the proxy-facing Gateway port can forge identity headers to assume the identity of an operator.

This can lead to privilege escalation, allowing the attacker to perform actions or access resources that should be restricted to operators.

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