Clawdbot (OpenClaw) 1-Click Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25253 Remote Code Execution 1-Click Exploit

Overview

A high-severity vulnerability was discovered in Clawdbot, an open-source AI personal assistant framework. The flaw allows attackers to achieve remote code execution with a single user click by abusing improper URL validation and insecure WebSocket handling. If a logged-in user clicks a malicious link, attackers can hijack authentication tokens and gain full administrative access to the Clawdbot instance, ultimately executing arbitrary commands on the host system.

Technical Specifications

Attribute	Details
CVE ID	CVE-2026-25253
Vulnerability Type	Remote Code Execution via Token Hijacking
CVSS Score	8.8 (High)
Attack Vector	Network
Authentication	Required (user must be logged in)
Complexity	Low
User Interaction	Required (single click)
Affected Component	Clawdbot Control UI and WebSocket Gateway

Affected Products

• Clawdbot (OpenClaw) AI personal assistant framework
• Unpatched versions prior to security update
• Status: Active / Patch available

Technical Details

Clawdbot's Control UI accepts a gatewayUrl parameter from URLs without proper validation:

• When a malicious URL is opened, the application automatically establishes a WebSocket connection to the attacker-supplied gateway
• During the WebSocket handshake, the user's authentication token is transmitted to the attacker-controlled server
• WebSocket origin checks are weak, and localhost connections are implicitly trusted
• The attacker can reuse the stolen token to access the Clawdbot Gateway API with operator or admin privileges
• With elevated privileges, the attacker can execute arbitrary system commands through Clawdbot's automation features

Attack Scenario

1. Attacker crafts a malicious URL containing a rogue gatewayUrl parameter
2. Victim is already authenticated in the Clawdbot web interface
3. Victim clicks the malicious link (delivered via phishing, chat message, or forum post)
4. Clawdbot automatically connects to the attacker's server and leaks the authentication token
5. Attacker intercepts and reuses the token to access the Clawdbot Gateway API
6. Attacker executes arbitrary system commands via Clawdbot's automation features with full privileges

Impact Assessment

ConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability

• Theft of authentication tokens and API keys
• Exposure of sensitive system information and credentials
• Access to files and data on the host system
• Potential exfiltration of proprietary AI models and configurations

• Arbitrary command execution on the host system
• Modification of Clawdbot configurations and automation rules
• Installation of backdoors and persistent malware
• Tampering with AI assistant responses and behaviors

• Full takeover of Clawdbot instances
• Potential denial-of-service through resource exhaustion
• Disruption of AI assistant operations
• System compromise affecting service continuity

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate Actions

• Update immediately to patched Clawdbot/OpenClaw versions
• Rotate all authentication tokens and API keys for affected instances
• Review access logs for unexpected gateway connections or suspicious API calls
• Temporarily disable remote gateway connections if patching is delayed

Short-term Measures

• Enforce explicit user confirmation before connecting to new gateways
• Restrict WebSocket connections with strict origin validation
• Avoid exposing Clawdbot gateways to the internet
• Implement network segmentation to isolate Clawdbot instances
• Use security awareness training to warn users about clicking suspicious links

Monitoring & Detection

• Monitor logs for unexpected gateway connections and unusual WebSocket activity
• Alert on authentication token usage from unexpected IP addresses
• Track command execution patterns for anomalies
• Watch for connections to newly registered or suspicious domains
• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts within Clawdbot

Long-term Solutions

• Run Clawdbot inside isolated containers or sandboxes with restricted capabilities
• Implement defense-in-depth with multiple layers of access control
• Use short-lived tokens with automatic rotation
• Deploy comprehensive logging and SIEM integration

Resources and References

Incident Reports

• 1-Click Clawdbot Vulnerability Enable Malicious Remote Code Execution Attacks
• 1-Click Flaw in ClawDBot Allows Remote Code Execution
• CVE-2026-25253 - High Vulnerability - TheHackerWire
• Clawdbot Shodan: Technical Post-Mortem and Defense Architecture for Agentic AI Systems
• Clawdbot’s Security Meltdown: How a Viral AI Agent Became Infostealers’ Favorite Target in 48 Hours - techbuddies.io

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Last Updated: February 2, 2026