Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessLow-privilege sandboxed leaf worker gains local access
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DeliveryCraft subagent control request bypassing authorization checks
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ExploitResolve request against parent requester scope
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ExecutionAccess sibling run controls
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ImpactExecute code with elevated tool policies
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization logic validation
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires OpenClaw before version 2026.3.11 with leaf subagent architecture deployed. Attacker must be a low-privilege sandboxed leaf worker with local process access. Exploits insufficient authorization checks on subagent control requests to access parent requester scope and sibling run controls. |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 score of 9.3 reflects critical impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability in both vulnerable and subsequent systems (VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H), though the local attack vector (AV:L) and low-privilege requirement (PR:L) constrain initial access scenarios. Real-world risk is elevated in environments where OpenClaw processes untrusted code or operates as a multi-tenant orchestration platform-common in AI agent frameworks and workflow automation systems. The low attack complexity (AC:L) and no user interaction requirement (UI:N) make exploitation straightforward once local access is obtained. Without EPSS data or KEV listing, prioritization depends on deployment context: organizations running OpenClaw in shared environments or processing untrusted workflows should treat this as urgent due to the privilege escalation and denial-of-service potential. The authentication bypass tag indicates this undermines fundamental security boundaries. SSVC assessment suggests immediate patching for systems where OpenClaw mediates security-sensitive operations, as the technical impact enables both data exfiltration (broader tool policies) and operational disruption (killing sibling runs). |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with low-privilege local access deploys a malicious leaf subagent within an OpenClaw workflow orchestration system. The compromised worker issues crafted control requests to the subagent API, bypassing sandbox boundaries to terminate competing sibling processes handling sensitive data transformations. By resolving against the parent requester's scope, the attacker's subagent gains access to elevated tool policies, enabling file system access or network operations denied to sandboxed workers. This results in data exfiltration or denial of service as legitimate workflow tasks are systematically killed. The low complexity and lack of user interaction requirements allow rapid exploitation once initial code execution is achieved in any leaf context. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 29, 2026
Sandbox escape in OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.11 enables low-privilege leaf subagents to bypass isolation boundaries and manipulate sibling processes with elevated tool policies. Local authenticated attackers can terminate competing worker threads, redirect execution flows, and execute operations outside their intended security context by exploiting insufficient authorization on subagent control APIs. EPSS data not available for this recent CVE; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the technical advisory provides detailed vulnerability mechanics.
RemediationAI
Upgrade immediately to OpenClaw version 2026.3.11 or later, which implements proper authorization checks on subagent control surface requests. The patch enforces scope validation to ensure leaf workers cannot issue control commands outside their delegated session trees. Organizations should verify that subagent control requests are authenticated against the originating context rather than parent scope after upgrade. Detailed remediation guidance is available in the vendor's security advisory at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-4w7m-58cg-cmff and comprehensive analysis at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-boundary-bypass-via-subagent-control-surface. No workarounds are documented; patching is the only effective mitigation. Post-upgrade, audit existing subagent configurations to ensure least-privilege tool policies are correctly enforced at each hierarchy level.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in npm
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
OpenClaw implements a hierarchical subagent architecture where leaf workers operate in sandboxed execution contexts with restricted tool policies and isolated session trees. The vulnerability exists in the subagent control surface authorization layer, which fails to validate that control requests originate from appropriately scoped parent contexts. CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) manifests here as missing access control checks on inter-agent communication primitives. When a leaf subagent issues control commands (terminate, redirect, policy override), the system resolves these against the parent requester's scope rather than enforcing the leaf's own session boundary. This architectural flaw violates the principle of least privilege in multi-tenant agent orchestration systems, where each subagent should only control resources within its delegated security domain. The affected component is the request routing and authorization middleware that handles cross-agent RPC calls in the OpenClaw runtime.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a sandbox boundary bypass vulnerability allowing leaf subagents to access the subagents control surface and resolve against parent requester scope instead of their own session tree. A low-privilege sandboxed leaf worker can steer or kill sibling runs and cause execution with broader tool policies by exploiting insufficient authorization checks on subagent control requests.
Blast Radius
ecosystem impact- 3 npm packages depend on openclaw (3 direct, 0 indirect)
Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 2026.3.11.
Executive ViewAI
OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.11 contain a sandbox escape vulnerability allowing authenticated local users to bypass process isolation and manipulate sibling processes with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the integrity of multi-agent deployments. Organizations running OpenClaw in environments where local users have access must prioritize patching to prevent lateral privilege escalation and unauthorized process manipulation within agent infrastructure.
Apply vendor patch. Pending patching: restrict local system access to trusted administrators only; disable or isolate subagent control APIs where operationally feasible; implement process-level monitoring to detect anomalous subagent interactions and thread termination events.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
GitHub
VulDB
Exploit-DB