CVE-2026-28458
Published: 05 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-28458 is a high-severity Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306) vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Browser Session Hijacking (T1185); ranked at the 23.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-14 (Permitted Actions Without Identification or Authentication) and IA-9 (Service Identification and Authentication).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
AC-14 requires organizations to identify and restrict permitted actions without identification or authentication, directly addressing the unauthenticated access to the /cdp WebSocket endpoint.
IA-9 mandates identification and authentication for system services prior to allowing access requests, preventing unauthorized connections to the Browser Relay /cdp endpoint.
SI-2 ensures timely remediation of flaws through patching, directly mitigating this vulnerability by applying the fixed version 2026.2.1 that adds authentication tokens.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Missing auth on localhost WebSocket (/cdp) directly enables malicious websites (drive-by) to steal cookies and execute JS across tabs, mapping to browser session hijacking and web cookie theft.
NVD Description
OpenClaw version 2026.1.20 prior to 2026.2.1 contains a vulnerability in the Browser Relay (extension must be installed and enabled) /cdp WebSocket endpoint in which it does not require authentication tokens, allowing websites to connect via loopback and access sensitive data.…
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Attackers can exploit this by connecting to ws://127.0.0.1:18792/cdp to steal session cookies and execute JavaScript in other browser tabs.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2026-28458 is a missing authentication vulnerability (CWE-306) in OpenClaw version 2026.1.20 prior to 2026.2.1, affecting the Browser Relay component when its extension is installed and enabled. The issue lies in the /cdp WebSocket endpoint, which does not require authentication tokens. This allows websites to connect via loopback to access sensitive data. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by tricking users into visiting a malicious website, requiring only low attack complexity and user interaction. From the malicious site, attackers connect to ws://127.0.0.1:18792/cdp, enabling them to steal session cookies and execute JavaScript in other browser tabs, resulting in high impacts to confidentiality and integrity.
Advisories recommend upgrading to OpenClaw version 2026.2.1 to mitigate the issue. The patching commit is available at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/a1e89afcc19efd641c02b24d66d689f181ae2b5c, with further details in the GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-mr32-vwc2-5j6h and the VulnCheck advisory at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-missing-authentication-in-browser-relay-cdp-websocket-endpoint.
Details
- CWE(s)