The vulnerability in OpenClaw occurs when the configuration option allowInsecureAuth is set to true and the gateway is reachable via unencrypted HTTP. Key detail from the CVE description: an attacker who has or can obtain device credentials can bypass normal authentication checks and gain high‑privilege access to the Control UI. This is a CWE‑78 weakness involving insecure handling of authentication over an insecure channel, which can lead to confidentiality and integrity compromise of the device.

Affected systems are OpenClaw installations running any version earlier than 2026.2.21 that have allowInsecureAuth enabled and expose the Control UI over plaintext HTTP. Key detail from the vendor list: product – OpenClaw:OpenClaw; affected versions – all releases prior to 2026.2.21. If the gateway is not exposed over HTTP, or the setting is disabled, the vulnerability does not apply.

The CVSS score of 6.1 indicates moderate severity (key detail from score data). EPSS is not available and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting limited publicly documented exploitation. Based on the description, the likely attack vector is an attacker able to reach the device’s gateway over HTTP and possessing the credentials, either from interception or a breach. Exploitation then allows full control of the device’s configuration and potentially other network functions.