📄 Description (English)
OpenClaw before 2026.4.10 contains a plugin trust bypass vulnerability that allows channel setup catalog lookups to resolve workspace plugin shadows before bundled channel plugins. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious workspace plugins that bypass intended trust gates during setup-time plugin loading.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
OpenClaw versions before 2026.4.10 contain a critical plugin trust bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-43571) that allows attackers to inject malicious workspace plugins during setup-time plugin loading, circumventing security trust gates. With a CVSS score of 8.8, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations using OpenClaw in Node.js environments, particularly those relying on plugin-based architectures for critical operations. An official patch is available and immediate deployment is strongly recommended to prevent unauthorized code execution and potential system compromise.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 9, 2026 14:07
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Saudi organizations in financial services (banking sector under SAMA oversight), government agencies (NCA jurisdiction), and telecommunications (STC, Mobily) that utilize OpenClaw for plugin-based application development face elevated risk. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations managing critical infrastructure, digital transformation initiatives, and cloud-native deployments. Government entities under NCA cybersecurity requirements and SAMA-regulated financial institutions are at highest risk due to their reliance on secure plugin ecosystems and strict compliance obligations. Energy sector organizations (ARAMCO subsidiaries) and healthcare providers using OpenClaw-based solutions should prioritize immediate patching.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking & Financial Services
Government & Public Administration
Telecommunications
Energy & Utilities
Healthcare
Critical Infrastructure
Digital Transformation Initiatives
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1195 - Supply Chain Compromise (malicious plugin injection)
T1547 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution (plugin auto-loading)
T1547.013 - XDG Autostart Entries (plugin initialization)
T1574 - Hijacking Execution Flow (plugin trust bypass)
T1574.013 - Dynamic Library Injection (malicious plugin loading)
T1204 - User Execution (social engineering for plugin installation)
T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter (code execution via plugins)
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
8.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Identify all OpenClaw installations across your infrastructure using version detection tools and asset management systems
2. Isolate or restrict network access to systems running vulnerable OpenClaw versions (< 2026.4.10) until patching is complete
3. Review plugin trust configurations and audit all currently loaded workspace plugins for suspicious behavior
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
1. Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.4.10 or later immediately
2. Test patches in non-production environments first to ensure compatibility with existing plugins
3. Implement a phased rollout strategy for production systems to minimize disruption
4. Verify plugin trust gates are functioning correctly post-patch
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if immediate patching is delayed):
1. Implement strict plugin source whitelisting and disable dynamic plugin loading from untrusted sources
2. Deploy application-level monitoring to detect unauthorized plugin loading attempts
3. Restrict file system permissions for plugin directories to prevent unauthorized modifications
4. Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement if plugin compromise occurs
DETECTION RULES:
1. Monitor for unexpected plugin loading from non-standard directories or sources
2. Alert on plugin trust gate bypass attempts or failed trust validation events
3. Track modifications to plugin configuration files and workspace plugin directories
4. Monitor for suspicious process execution originating from plugin execution contexts
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد جميع تثبيتات OpenClaw عبر البنية التحتية الخاصة بك باستخدام أدوات الكشف عن الإصدارات وأنظمة إدارة الأصول
2. عزل أو تقييد الوصول إلى الشبكة للأنظمة التي تعمل بإصدارات OpenClaw الضعيفة (< 2026.4.10) حتى اكتمال التصحيح
3. مراجعة تكوينات ثقة المكونات الإضافية وتدقيق جميع المكونات الإضافية للمساحة العاملة المحملة حالياً للبحث عن السلوك المريب
إرشادات التصحيح:
1. ترقية OpenClaw إلى الإصدار 2026.4.10 أو أحدث فوراً
2. اختبار التصحيحات في بيئات غير الإنتاج أولاً للتأكد من التوافق مع المكونات الإضافية الموجودة
3. تنفيذ استراتيجية نشر متدرجة لأنظمة الإنتاج لتقليل الاضطراب
4. التحقق من أن بوابات ثقة المكونات الإضافية تعمل بشكل صحيح بعد التصحيح
الضوابط البديلة (إذا تأخر التصحيح الفوري):
1. تنفيذ قائمة بيضاء صارمة لمصادر المكونات الإضافية وتعطيل تحميل المكونات الإضافية الديناميكية من مصادر غير موثوقة
2. نشر المراقبة على مستوى التطبيق للكشف عن محاولات تحميل المكونات الإضافية غير المصرح بها
3. تقييد أذونات نظام الملفات لدلائل المكونات الإضافية لمنع التعديلات غير المصرح بها
4. تنفيذ تقسيم الشبكة لتحديد الحركة الجانبية في حالة اختراق المكونات الإضافية
قواعد الكشف:
1. مراقبة تحميل المكونات الإضافية غير المتوقعة من الدلائل أو المصادر غير القياسية
2. التنبيه على محاولات تجاوز بوابة ثقة المكونات الإضافية أو أحداث فشل التحقق من الثقة
3. تتبع التعديلات على ملفات تكوين المكونات الإضافية ودلائل المكونات الإضافية للمساحة العاملة
4. مراقبة تنفيذ العمليات المريبة الناشئة من سياقات تنفيذ المكونات الإضافية
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 - 5.1.1: Software and Application Security (plugin trust and integrity controls)
ECC 2024 - 5.2.1: Secure Development Practices (secure plugin loading mechanisms)
ECC 2024 - 5.3.2: Vulnerability Management (timely patching of critical vulnerabilities)
ECC 2024 - 6.1.1: Access Control (plugin source authentication and authorization)
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF - Governance & Risk Management: Vulnerability management and patch deployment
SAMA CSF - Information Security: Application security and secure coding practices
SAMA CSF - Operational Resilience: Incident response and system integrity monitoring
SAMA CSF - Third-party Risk: Plugin ecosystem security and supply chain integrity
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001:2022 - A.5.1.1: Policies for information security (plugin trust policies)
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.1.1: User endpoint devices (secure plugin execution environments)
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.2.1: Privileged access rights (plugin execution privileges)
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.3.1: Information access restriction (plugin capability limitations)
ISO 27001:2022 - A.14.2.1: Secure development policy (secure plugin development practices)
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
PCI DSS 6.2: Security patches and updates (if payment systems use OpenClaw)
PCI DSS 6.5.1: Injection flaws (plugin injection prevention)
PCI DSS 12.2.1: Configuration standards (secure plugin configuration)
🔗 References & Sources 3
🔗
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/1fede43b948df40ca8674511d4bd08d39f6c5837
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Patch
🔗
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-82qx-6vj7-p8m2
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Vendor Advisory
🔗
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-untrusted-workspace-plugin-shadow-resolut...
disclosure@vulncheck.com
Third Party Advisory
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
openclaw:openclaw