CVE-2026-44997 — openclaw
Fix: openclaw/openclaw@31160dcCVE-2026-44997 is a CWE-266 vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenClaw < 2026.4.22 - Security Envelope Constraint Bypass in ACP Child Sessions
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-44997.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
openclawnpmDescription
Summary
ACP child sessions inherit subagent security envelope constraints.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: openclaw (npm)
- Affected versions: <= 2026.4.21
- Fixed version: 2026.4.22
Impact
A restricted subagent spawning an ACP child session could fail to carry forward subagent-only constraints such as depth, child-count limits, control scope, or target-agent restrictions.
Fix
ACP spawn now resolves and persists child subagent envelope fields, enforces maximum depth and active-child caps, and applies the inherited control scope to child ACP sessions.
Fix Commit(s)
- 31160dc069b7cc5d833b39c53736a41ad3befda2
Verification
- The fix commit is contained in the public v2026.4.22 tag.
- [email protected] is published on npm and the compiled package contains the fix.
- Focused regression coverage for this path passed before publication.
OpenClaw thanks @zsxsoft, @qclawer, and @KeenSecurityLab for reporting.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.4.22npm install openclaw@2026.4.22 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update openclaw to 2026.4.22 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-44997 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-44997 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-44997. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-44997 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-44997 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.