CVE-2026-100581: OpenClaw iOS Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-100581 Overview

CVE-2026-100581 affects OpenClaw for iOS versions prior to 2026.8.11. The application stores Gateway credentials as cleartext JSON inside App Group UserDefaults rather than the iOS Keychain. Attackers who obtain unencrypted device backups or extracted App Group containers can recover valid Gateway tokens and passwords. Recovered credentials allow authentication to the Gateway with operator-level authority. The weakness is categorized as [CWE-312] Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information.

Critical Impact
Local attackers with access to iOS backups or App Group container exports can recover plaintext Gateway tokens and passwords and reuse them to authenticate as a legitimate operator.

Affected Products

OpenClaw for iOS versions prior to 2026.8.11
OpenClaw iOS Share Extension (App Group UserDefaults storage path)
Any OpenClaw Gateway deployment trusting tokens issued to vulnerable iOS clients

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-26 - CVE-2026-100581 published to NVD
2026-09-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-100581

Vulnerability Analysis

OpenClaw for iOS persists Gateway authentication material in App Group UserDefaults, which is a plist-backed preference store shared between the main app and its Share Extension. UserDefaults is not an encrypted secret store. On iOS, long-lived credentials such as OAuth tokens, bearer tokens, and passwords are expected to live in the Keychain, where they inherit per-item access control and data protection class semantics.

Because the credentials are serialized as cleartext JSON, any process or forensic workflow able to read the App Group container can parse the file directly. This exposes operator-authority Gateway tokens that permit full authenticated access to the backend. The disclosure is limited to confidentiality of credentials, but reuse of those credentials against the Gateway can escalate the impact to full operator actions on the server side.

Root Cause

The root cause is an insecure storage choice: sensitive Gateway credentials are written to App Group UserDefaults instead of the iOS Keychain. UserDefaults content is included in standard, unencrypted iTunes/Finder backups when the user does not enable an encrypted backup. It is also recoverable from physical acquisitions of the App Group container.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the device, an unencrypted iOS backup, or an extracted App Group container. The attacker opens the shared container, locates the Share Extension preference plist, and parses the JSON structure holding the Gateway token and password. The attacker then replays those credentials to the Gateway over the normal authentication flow and obtains operator-level session authority. No user interaction is required beyond the initial credential acquisition. Refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-gcm4-fmcp-2f9r and the VulnCheck Advisory for OpenClaw iOS for additional detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-100581

Indicators of Compromise

Presence of cleartext Gateway tokens or passwords inside App Group UserDefaults plist files extracted from iOS devices or backups.
Gateway authentication events using valid operator tokens originating from unexpected source IPs, user agents, or geolocations.
Reuse of the same Gateway token from multiple concurrent client fingerprints.

Detection Strategies

Inventory iOS endpoints running OpenClaw and flag any build earlier than 2026.8.11.
Inspect App Group container exports for plist keys containing token or password fields stored as plain strings.
Correlate Gateway authentication logs against the known set of enrolled iOS devices to surface replayed sessions.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose authentication logging on the OpenClaw Gateway and ship events to a central SIEM for anomaly review.
Alert on Gateway logins that use long-lived tokens from new device fingerprints or outside normal operator hours.
Monitor for enterprise mobility events indicating unencrypted iOS backups or jailbroken devices with OpenClaw installed.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-100581

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade OpenClaw for iOS to version 2026.8.11 or later on every managed device.
Rotate all Gateway tokens and operator passwords that were ever stored by a vulnerable client build.
Require encrypted iOS backups through mobile device management policy to reduce exposure of App Group data.

Patch Information

The maintainers fixed the issue in OpenClaw for iOS 2026.8.11 by moving Gateway credentials from App Group UserDefaults into the iOS Keychain. Patch details and version metadata are documented in the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-gcm4-fmcp-2f9r. Administrators should confirm the installed build on each device after deployment.

Workarounds

Revoke and reissue Gateway credentials for any user who installed a vulnerable OpenClaw iOS build.
Enforce short Gateway token lifetimes and bind tokens to device fingerprints where supported.
Block or quarantine iOS devices that cannot be upgraded to 2026.8.11 from reaching the Gateway.

bash

# Configuration example
# Verify installed OpenClaw iOS build via MDM query, then enforce minimum version
# Example policy pseudocode for an MDM compliance rule:
#   app.bundleId == "org.openclaw.ios"
#   require app.version >= "2026.8.11"
#   on_violation: block_gateway_access, notify_admin