CVE-2026-16017: Mosaxiv Clawlet Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-16017 Overview

CVE-2026-16017 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the mosaxiv clawlet project through version 0.2.10. The flaw resides in the list and remove functions within tools/tool_cron.go, part of the cron Chat Tool component. Remote attackers with low privileges can invoke these functions without proper authorization checks, affecting cron job listings and removal operations. Public exploit code has been released, though the maintainer closed the associated GitHub issue with a "not planned" label, indicating no official patch is expected. The vulnerability carries limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact based on its CVSS 4.0 assessment.

Critical Impact
Remote authenticated attackers can list and remove cron jobs managed by the Chat Tool without authorization, and no vendor fix is planned.

Affected Products

mosaxiv clawlet versions up to and including 0.2.10
Component: cron Chat Tool (tools/tool_cron.go)
Affected functions: list and remove

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-17 - CVE-2026-16017 published to NVD
2026-07-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-16017

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a missing authorization weakness classified as [CWE-862]. It affects the list and remove functions in tools/tool_cron.go, which manage scheduled cron tasks through the clawlet Chat Tool interface. These handlers accept remote requests but fail to verify whether the caller holds the necessary permissions to enumerate or delete cron entries. An attacker who can reach the tool endpoint over the network can invoke these operations. The impact scope is limited, resulting in low confidentiality, integrity, and availability effects on the affected component. The maintainer declined to address the report, marking the GitHub issue as "not planned." Public exploit details are already circulating in VulDB and the project's issue tracker.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of an authorization check before executing privileged actions within the cron Chat Tool. The list and remove handlers in tools/tool_cron.go treat authenticated requests as inherently authorized, without validating ownership or role membership for the targeted cron entries.

Attack Vector

The attack originates from the network and requires low privileges but no user interaction. An attacker sends crafted requests to the exposed cron tool handlers to enumerate scheduled tasks or remove entries created by other users. Because a public exploit exists, adversaries can adapt the released proof of concept without significant development effort. See the GitHub Issue Tracker Entry and VulDB Vulnerability Details for technical specifics.

No verified exploit code is republished here; refer to the linked references for the released proof of concept.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-16017

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected invocations of the clawlet cron tool list or remove operations from accounts that do not own the targeted jobs.
Missing or unexplained cron entries previously scheduled through the Chat Tool.
Access log entries showing repeated calls to tools/tool_cron.go endpoints from a single low-privileged account.

Detection Strategies

Enable verbose logging around the cron Chat Tool handlers to capture caller identity, target job ID, and outcome for each list and remove request.
Correlate cron modification events with the requesting user's ownership of the affected job to flag cross-user operations.
Baseline normal cron administration patterns and alert on deviations, such as bulk removals or enumeration by non-administrative users.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward clawlet application logs to a centralized log platform and retain them for post-incident review.
Monitor the project's GitHub repository for community forks or patches, since the upstream maintainer marked the issue as "not planned."
Track authentication events to identify low-privileged accounts exhibiting administrative-style behavior against the cron tool.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-16017

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to clawlet deployments so only trusted, authenticated users can reach the cron Chat Tool endpoints.
Disable or remove the cron Chat Tool component if it is not required in your deployment.
Review existing cron entries created through clawlet and revalidate their legitimacy.

Patch Information

No official patch is available. The maintainer closed the GitHub issue with the label "not planned," indicating that a vendor fix is not expected. Organizations relying on clawlet should evaluate community forks, apply local patches that introduce ownership checks in the list and remove handlers of tools/tool_cron.go, or migrate to an alternative tool.

Workarounds

Place the clawlet service behind an authenticating reverse proxy that enforces role-based access control before requests reach the tool handlers.
Apply a local source-code modification to tools/tool_cron.go that validates the requester owns the target cron job before executing list or remove.
Segregate clawlet deployments per user or tenant to limit the blast radius of cross-user access.

bash

# Example reverse proxy restriction limiting cron tool access to an admin group
location /tools/cron/ {
    auth_request /auth/admin-check;
    proxy_pass http://clawlet_backend;
}