Listen to this Post
This vulnerability resides in the Gateway Control UI’s bootstrap configuration endpoint. When Gateway authentication is enabled, the endpoint responsible for serving the initial configuration to the Control UI is improperly secured. Unlike other authenticated endpoints, this specific route fails to enforce the standard Gateway token validation mechanism. An unauthenticated attacker can directly request the bootstrap config endpoint without providing a valid token or any credentials. The server, due to the missing authentication check, processes the request and responds with the sensitive data. This exposed data includes internal configuration fields, environment details, and other bootstrap parameters that are meant to be strictly reserved for authenticated Control UI sessions. The exposure occurs at request time, as the server does not verify the `Authorization` header or cookies before generating the response. The core issue is a logic flaw in the request routing layer, where this specific endpoint path was omitted from the common authentication middleware. By simply sending a GET request to the bootstrap config route, anyone on the network can retrieve this protected information. This bypasses the intended security boundary and leaks critical configuration state.
Platform: OpenClaw Gateway
Version: <= 2026.4.21
Vulnerability : Auth Bypass / Info Disclosure
Severity: Moderate
date: 2026-04-23
Prediction: 2026-04-22
Analytics under What Undercode Say:
Simulate unauthenticated access to the vulnerable bootstrap config endpoint curl -X GET http://target-gateway:18789/api/control-ui/bootstrap/config Simulate authenticated request (should succeed if auth is bypassed) But with the fix, it returns 401 curl -X GET http://target-gateway:18789/api/control-ui/bootstrap/config \ -H "Authorization: Bearer INVALID_OR_MISSING_TOKEN"
How Exploit:
1. Identify OpenClaw Gateway instance 2. Send GET request to the bootstrap config endpoint without any authentication headers curl -v http://target-gateway:18789/v1/bootstrap/config 3. Parse the JSON response to extract sensitive fields
Protection from this CVE
- Upgrade to OpenClaw version 2026.4.22 or later.
- If immediate upgrade is not possible, apply network restrictions to prevent unauthorized access to the Gateway API.
- Ensure the `gateway.auth.mode` is set to a secure value (e.g., `token` or
password) and that a strong token or password is configured.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can read sensitive bootstrap configuration data from the OpenClaw Gateway. This information could be used for further reconnaissance, leading to privilege escalation or a full system compromise.
🎯Let’s Practice Exploiting & Learn Patching For Free:
Sources:
Reported By: github.com
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
