Critical severity · published May 6, 2026
CVE-2026-43578
OpenClaw 2026.3.31 < 2026.4.10 - Privilege Escalation via Missed Async Exec Completion Events in Heartbeat Owner Downgrade
9.1
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.31 before 2026.4.10 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability where heartbeat owner downgrade detection misses local background async exec completion events. Attackers can exploit this by providing untrusted completion content to leave a run in a more privileged context than intended.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 21% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
OP
OpenClaw · OpenClaw
2026.3.31 before 2026.4.10 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43578
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43578
Patch
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/19a2e9ddb5a8a494abcba812bb11f51075026a27
Mitigation
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-g375-h3v6-4873
Third Party Advisory
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-missed-async-exec-completion-events-in-heartbeat-owner-downgrade
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