📄 Description (English)
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 parses MS Teams webhook request bodies before performing JWT validation, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger resource exhaustion. Remote attackers can send malicious Teams webhook payloads to exhaust server resources by bypassing authentication checks.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.31 contain a critical authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-41405) where MS Teams webhook request bodies are parsed before JWT validation, allowing unauthenticated attackers to trigger resource exhaustion attacks. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to send malicious webhook payloads that bypass authentication checks and exhaust server resources, potentially causing denial of service. With a CVSS score of 7.5 and no public exploit currently available, immediate patching is strongly recommended for all organizations using OpenClaw in production environments.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 4, 2026 05:37
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability poses significant risk to Saudi organizations utilizing OpenClaw for Microsoft Teams integration, particularly in: (1) Banking sector (SAMA-regulated institutions) relying on Teams for secure communications and webhook integrations; (2) Government agencies (NCA oversight) using Teams for inter-departmental collaboration; (3) Telecommunications companies (STC, Mobily) leveraging Teams webhooks for operational alerts; (4) Healthcare organizations using Teams for patient data coordination. The authentication bypass could allow attackers to exhaust resources on critical communication infrastructure, disrupting business continuity and potentially exposing sensitive data flows.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Telecommunications
Healthcare
Energy and Utilities
Education
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Identify all OpenClaw instances in your environment and verify current version numbers
2. Disable or restrict MS Teams webhook endpoints until patching is completed
3. Implement network-level rate limiting on webhook endpoints to mitigate resource exhaustion
4. Monitor server resource utilization (CPU, memory, disk I/O) for anomalous patterns
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
1. Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.3.31 or later immediately
2. Test patches in non-production environments first
3. Implement staged rollout to production systems
4. Verify JWT validation is occurring before request body parsing post-patch
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if immediate patching not possible):
1. Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to validate JWT tokens before reaching OpenClaw
2. Implement reverse proxy authentication layer for all webhook endpoints
3. Configure strict request size limits and timeout policies
4. Enable detailed logging of all webhook requests with source IP tracking
DETECTION RULES:
1. Alert on webhook requests with missing or invalid Authorization headers
2. Monitor for sudden spikes in webhook request volume from single sources
3. Track requests with unusually large payload sizes
4. Log all 4xx authentication errors on webhook endpoints for forensic analysis
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. حدد جميع مثيلات OpenClaw في بيئتك وتحقق من أرقام الإصدارات الحالية
2. عطّل أو قيّد نقاط نهاية MS Teams webhook حتى يتم إكمال التصحيح
3. طبّق تحديد معدل على مستوى الشبكة على نقاط نهاية webhook للتخفيف من استنزاف الموارد
4. راقب استخدام موارد الخادم (CPU والذاكرة وI/O القرص) للأنماط الشاذة
إرشادات التصحيح:
1. قم بترقية OpenClaw إلى الإصدار 2026.3.31 أو أحدث على الفور
2. اختبر التصحيحات في بيئات غير الإنتاج أولاً
3. طبّق الترقية على مراحل لأنظمة الإنتاج
4. تحقق من أن التحقق من JWT يحدث قبل تحليل جسم الطلب بعد التصحيح
الضوابط البديلة (إذا لم يكن التصحيح الفوري ممكناً):
1. نشّر قواعد جدار حماية تطبيقات الويب (WAF) للتحقق من رموز JWT قبل الوصول إلى OpenClaw
2. طبّق طبقة مصادقة وكيل عكسي لجميع نقاط نهاية webhook
3. قم بتكوين حدود صارمة لحجم الطلب وسياسات المهلة الزمنية
4. فعّل تسجيل مفصل لجميع طلبات webhook مع تتبع عنوان IP المصدر
قواعد الكشف:
1. تنبيه على طلبات webhook بدون رؤوس Authorization مفقودة أو غير صالحة
2. راقب الارتفاعات المفاجئة في حجم طلبات webhook من مصادر واحدة
3. تتبع الطلبات بأحجام حمولة غير عادية كبيرة
4. سجّل جميع أخطاء المصادقة 4xx على نقاط نهاية webhook للتحليل الجنائي
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.5.1.1 - Access Control Policies (authentication bypass)
ECC 2024 A.5.2.1 - User Registration and Access Management (JWT validation failure)
ECC 2024 A.8.2.1 - User Access Management (unauthenticated access)
ECC 2024 A.12.6.1 - Management of Technical Vulnerabilities (unpatched systems)
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF ID.AM-2 - Asset Management (identify affected systems)
SAMA CSF PR.AC-1 - Access Control (authentication mechanisms)
SAMA CSF PR.AC-3 - Access Enforcement (JWT validation)
SAMA CSF DE.CM-1 - Detection and Analysis (anomalous resource usage)
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001:2022 A.5.15 - Access Control (authentication)
ISO 27001:2022 A.8.1 - User endpoint devices (secure communications)
ISO 27001:2022 A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy (secure coding practices)
ISO 27001:2022 A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities and exposures
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
PCI DSS 2.1 - Change default vendor-supplied passwords
PCI DSS 6.2 - Security patches installation
PCI DSS 8.1 - User identification and authentication
🔗 References & Sources 3
🔗
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3834d47099dd13c8244ed6de8b9ea9855c553623
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Patch
🔗
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-p464-m8x6-vhv8
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Vendor Advisory
🔗
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-resource-exhaustion-via-unauthenticated-m...
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Third Party Advisory
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
openclaw:openclaw