The vulnerability in OpenClaw involves confusion in the embedded runner policy caused by provider aliases. When a request uses a provider alias, the policy comparison may occur against the alias instead of the canonical provider identity. This can lead to unintended selection of bundled tool access outside the intended provider policy. The impact depends on whether the affected feature is enabled and reachable, and on the operator's configuration and trust boundaries. The first stable patched version is 2026.4.25, which addresses this issue.

If the affected feature is enabled and accessible, an attacker or lower-trust input could exploit provider alias confusion to gain access to bundled tools beyond the intended policy restrictions. The practical impact varies based on operator configuration and exposure to untrusted inputs. The vulnerability does not compromise the overall trusted-operator model but may allow privilege escalation within the embedded runner policy context.

A fix is available in OpenClaw version 2026.4.25. Operators should upgrade to this version to remediate the vulnerability. Until patched, avoid using provider alias routing for embedded runner tool policy. Additionally, harden configurations by keeping channel and tool allowlists narrow, avoid sharing a Gateway between mutually untrusted users, and disable the affected feature if it is not required.