OpenClaw CSRF vulnerability in loopback browser mutation endpoints
OpenClaw's browser control servers exposed HTTP mutation endpoints on loopback without validating request origin, allowing malicious websites to trigger unauthorized state changes in victims' browsers. The vulnerability was patched in versions openclaw 2026.2.14 and clawdbot 2026.2.14.
What happened
Browser-facing localhost mutation routes in OpenClaw accepted cross-origin browser requests without explicit Origin/Referer validation.
A malicious website could trigger unauthorized state changes against a victim's local OpenClaw browser control plane, such as opening tabs, starting or stopping the browser, or mutating storage and cookies, if the browser control service was reachable on loopback in the victim's browser context.
Reported impact
The vulnerability allowed attackers to trigger unauthorized mutations through cross-origin requests to loopback addresses without validation of request origin.
Index analysis
The vulnerability was assigned CVE-2026-26317 and rated High severity.
Affected versions were openclaw (npm) <= 2026.2.13 and clawdbot (npm) <= 2026.1.24-3.
Governance controls
The fix rejected mutating HTTP methods (POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE) when the request indicated a non-loopback Origin/Referer or had Sec-Fetch-Site: cross-site.
Mitigation advice included enabling browser control authentication and avoiding running with auth disabled.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.