Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-33575 is a high-severity Insufficiently Protected Credentials (CWE-522) vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Remote Services (T1021); ranked at the 16th 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 map to SC-28 (Protection of Information at Rest) and SC-8 (Transmission Confidentiality and Integrity) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-33575 is a credential exposure vulnerability (CWE-522) affecting OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.12. The issue arises because the software embeds long-lived shared gateway credentials directly into pairing setup codes generated by the /pair endpoint and the OpenClaw qr command. This design flaw allows the credentials to be recoverable from the setup codes, violating the intended one-time-use pairing flow. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N), indicating high confidentiality impact with low complexity and no prerequisites for remote exploitation.
Attackers who obtain leaked pairing setup codes—such as from chat histories, logs, or screenshots—can extract the embedded shared gateway credentials and reuse them outside the legitimate pairing process. No authentication, privileges, or user interaction are required, enabling unauthenticated remote attackers to compromise gateway access. Successful exploitation grants unauthorized access to the gateway, potentially leading to further network compromise depending on the gateway's role.
Advisories from the OpenClaw GitHub security page (GHSA-7h7g-x2px-94hj) and VulnCheck detail the issue and recommend upgrading to OpenClaw 2026.3.12 or later, where the pairing setup codes no longer embed the long-lived credentials. Practitioners should audit logs, chat histories, and any stored QR codes for exposure and rotate affected gateway credentials immediately.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-17029
Vulnerability Data
OpenClaw before 2026.3.12 embeds long-lived shared gateway credentials directly in pairing setup codes generated by /pair endpoint and OpenClaw qr command. Attackers with access to leaked setup codes from chat history, logs, or screenshots can recover and reuse the shared…
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gateway credential outside the intended one-time pairing flow.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
V11.3.3
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Protection of information at rest requires encryption or equivalent safeguards for stored credentials.
Transmission confidentiality and integrity enforcement stops credentials from being sent in plaintext or without protection.
Authenticator management requires secure generation, storage, and distribution of credentials, directly stopping insecure methods.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Credential management practices directly reduce insecure storage/transmission but do not guarantee encryption or transport protection.
Authentication policies can enforce stronger credential handling yet address only verification, not storage or transit protection.
Protecting identity assertions covers conveyance of credentials but is narrower than full credential lifecycle protection.
Encrypting data-at-rest fully prevents insecure credential storage while only partially satisfying the broader data-protection outcome.
Encrypting data-in-transit fully prevents interception of credentials in motion while only partially satisfying the broader data-protection outcome.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Acceptable-use expectations that cover protection of credentials and information assets throughout their lifecycle discourage practices that expose or mishandle authentication material.
Requiring protected storage, transmission, and non-display of passwords prevents credentials from being stored or sent in clear text where they can be harvested by unauthorized actors.
Contractual clauses that survive termination help ensure that credentials and other secrets are not retained or misused after employment ends.
Regular reminders about password security and personal accountability make users less likely to store or transmit credentials in cleartext or other unprotected forms.
By requiring signatories to protect credentials and other authentication material under the same confidentiality terms, the control discourages the mishandling or exposure of credentials that could lead to unauthorized account access.
Requiring logical controls such as passwords or PINs on idle devices and the use of remote lockout mechanisms protects credentials and other sensitive material from offline extraction.