CVE-2026-62200 Overview
CVE-2026-62200 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability affecting OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.6.6. The flaw resides in the host execution environment filtering logic, which fails to properly restrict abuse of the Git ext transport mechanism. When the affected feature is enabled and reachable over the network, a lower-trust caller can execute or persist actions beyond their intended authorization boundary. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs, reflecting insufficient denylist filtering of dangerous Git transport protocols.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers with low privileges can bypass authorization controls to execute arbitrary actions, resulting in high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on affected OpenClaw deployments.
Affected Products
- OpenClaw (Node.js package) versions before 2026.6.6
- Deployments where the Git ext transport feature is enabled and network-reachable
- Environments exposing OpenClaw to lower-trust callers or configurable input paths
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-13 - CVE-2026-62200 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-07-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-62200
Vulnerability Analysis
OpenClaw's host execution environment applies a filtering layer intended to block dangerous inputs before they reach underlying Git operations. The filter operates as a denylist that enumerates prohibited transport patterns. This denylist is incomplete and fails to account for the Git ext transport, which allows arbitrary command execution through the ext:: URL scheme by design.
Git's ext transport was created to enable custom transport helpers, but it treats the URL payload as a shell command to invoke. When OpenClaw forwards user-influenced input into a Git operation without stripping or rejecting the ext scheme, that input is interpreted as an executable directive rather than a repository reference.
The result is an authorization bypass. A caller who is authenticated with limited privileges can leverage the transport to execute or persist actions that the application never intended to expose.
Root Cause
The root cause is incomplete input filtering [CWE-184] in the host execution environment. The denylist enumerates known-bad values but omits ext:: and related Git transport aliases. Because Git honors the ext scheme unconditionally when present in a remote URL, the missing filter entry converts a data-handling routine into a command-execution primitive.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to a reachable OpenClaw instance and low-privilege authentication. The attacker submits a crafted Git remote or repository reference containing an ext:: URL. When OpenClaw processes the request through the affected code path, the underlying Git invocation runs the attacker-controlled command in the host context.
For exploitation details, refer to the VulnCheck Advisory and the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-9969-8g9h-rxwm.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently listed in the enriched CVE data. The EPSS score is 0.295% (21.5 percentile) as of 2026-07-20.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-62200
Indicators of Compromise
- Git remote URLs or repository references containing the ext:: scheme in application logs
- Unexpected child processes spawned by the OpenClaw service or its Git subprocess
- Outbound network connections or file-system modifications originating from Git helper processes
- Authentication events from low-privilege accounts followed by privileged host actions
Detection Strategies
- Inspect OpenClaw request logs for URL parameters matching ext:: or other non-standard Git transport prefixes
- Correlate authenticated API calls with subsequent process creation events on the host running OpenClaw
- Alert on Git binary invocations that spawn shells (sh, bash, cmd.exe) as descendants
- Baseline normal Git transport usage (https, ssh, git) and flag deviations
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable process-creation telemetry on hosts running OpenClaw and forward events to a central data lake
- Monitor OpenClaw service accounts for anomalous file writes, outbound connections, or privilege changes
- Track version inventory to identify OpenClaw instances still running builds earlier than 2026.6.6
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-62200
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.6.6 or later on all affected hosts
- Audit existing repository configurations and stored remote URLs for ext:: entries and remove them
- Restrict network exposure of OpenClaw endpoints to trusted callers pending patch deployment
- Rotate credentials for any account that may have been used to reach the vulnerable feature
Patch Information
The maintainers addressed the flaw in OpenClaw 2026.6.6. Refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-9969-8g9h-rxwm for the fix commit and upgrade instructions. Users installing via npm should update the dependency pin and rebuild deployment artifacts.
Workarounds
- Disable the affected host execution feature if it is not required for operations
- Enforce an allowlist of Git transports (https, ssh) at the network or proxy layer to block ext:: invocations
- Run OpenClaw under a dedicated low-privilege service account with restricted file-system and network permissions
- Apply egress filtering to prevent Git helper processes from initiating unexpected outbound connections
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
