OpenClaw nodes send lifecycle events to the gateway. In affected versions before 2026.5.18, a paired node could send an exec lifecycle event accepted without sufficient provenance linking it to an authorized system.run request. This missing provenance check allows a malicious or compromised paired node to cause the gateway to treat attacker-supplied event data as valid exec lifecycle results, potentially steering the target session into exec-event paths exposing unintended capabilities. The vulnerability affects the node event boundary and requires attacker control of a paired node connection.

A malicious or compromised paired node can forge exec lifecycle events that the gateway accepts as legitimate, potentially exposing capabilities that the reduced node surface should not provide. This could lead to unauthorized actions within the target session. However, exploitation requires prior control of a paired node connection; unauthenticated attackers cannot exploit this remotely.

Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.5.18 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. Additionally, pair nodes only from trusted environments and remove or re-pair nodes that may have been compromised to prevent exploitation.