OpenClaw has an opt-in insecure Control UI auth over plaintext HTTP could allow privileged access

Description

In affected releases, when an operator explicitly enabled gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth: true and exposed the gateway over plaintext HTTP, Control UI authentication could permit privileged operator access without the intended device identity + pairing guarantees.

This required an insecure deployment choice and credential exposure risk (for example, plaintext transit or prior token leak). It was fixed on main in commit 40a292619e1f2be3a3b1db663d7494c9c2dc0abf (PR #20684).

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected published versions: <= 2026.2.19-2
• Planned patched version: 2026.2.21

Impact

In these explicitly insecure deployments, an attacker with leaked/intercepted credentials could obtain high-privilege Control UI access.

Fix Commit(s)

• 40a292619e1f2be3a3b1db663d7494c9c2dc0abf (merged 2026-02-20)

OpenClaw thanks @Vasco0x4 for reporting.