OpenClaw Vulnerability: Heartbeat Owner Downgrade Misses Local Async Exec Completion Events

openclaw Updated 18 Apr 2026

Summary

17/04/2026

Disclosed on

MODERATE

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

Moderate

Severity

6.0

CVSS Score

GHSA-g375-h3v6-4873: OpenClaw: Heartbeat owner downgrade missed local async exec completion events. Affects openclaw versions >= 2026.3.31, < 2026.4.10. Fixed in 2026.4.10. How to fix ↓

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Background

OpenClaw is an npm package designed for managing and executing background tasks in a Node.js environment. It provides functionalities for scheduling and monitoring asynchronous tasks, making it a valuable tool for developers. However, a recent vulnerability has been identified that affects versions of OpenClaw between 2026.3.31 and 2026.4.10, potentially exposing applications to security risks.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability arises from the heartbeat owner downgrade mechanism, which fails to detect local asynchronous execution completion events. This oversight can result in a situation where a task runs in a more privileged context than intended, especially if the completion content is untrusted. The technical details reveal that the fix involves expanding the exec-completion detection to include local background execution formats, ensuring that all completion events are accurately monitored.

How To Fix

Latest published version: 2026.10.6 as of 22 Oct 2026

npm install openclaw@2026.10.6

Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.

If you need the minimum change

2026.4.10

This is the first release that contains the fix.

npm install openclaw@2026.4.10

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Workaround

Currently, there are no specific workarounds mentioned for this vulnerability. The best course of action is to update to the patched version as soon as possible.

Conclusion

In summary, the OpenClaw vulnerability related to heartbeat owner downgrade detection poses a significant risk to applications using affected versions. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to version 2026.4.10 or later to ensure their applications are secure. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor for such vulnerabilities effectively.

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