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Openclaw EUVDEUVD-2026-13949

| CVE-2026-32051 HIGH
Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863)
2026-03-21 VulnCheck GHSA-x2pq-6fc2-wh58
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Authenticate with operator.write scoped token
  2. Exploit
    Invoke agent run with gateway or cron tool
  3. Execution
    Bypass owner-only authorization checks
  4. Impact
    Execute control-plane actions at elevated privilege

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

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.1 in scoped-token deployments. Attacker requires authenticated access with operator.write scope. Exploits authorization bypass to invoke owner-only tool surfaces (gateway, cron) via agent runs without victim interaction required.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects genuine severity with network attack vector (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L), and low privileges required (PR:L), indicating authenticated attackers can easily exploit this without special conditions. The vulnerability enables full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) within the control plane scope. Real-world risk is elevated because the attack requires only authenticated write-scope access, which is commonly granted to operators and developers in workflow systems, and the exploitation complexity is low with no user interaction needed. However, mitigating factors include the requirement for authentication and the vulnerability being specific to scoped-token deployments rather than all configurations. Without EPSS data, KEV listing, or reported exploitation, this appears to be a newly disclosed vulnerability with patch availability, making it a high priority for affected organizations but not yet an actively exploited threat. The technical impact of control-plane compromise and the ease of exploitation make this a genuine priority for patching in environments using scoped tokens.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with legitimate operator.write credentials authenticates to an OpenClaw scoped-token deployment and crafts an agent run workflow that invokes owner-only tool surfaces such as gateway configuration or cron job management. Because the authorization checks fail to consistently enforce owner-level permissions during agent execution, the attacker successfully executes privileged control-plane operations, potentially creating persistent backdoors through cron jobs, modifying gateway routing to intercept traffic, or escalating to full administrative control over the OpenClaw infrastructure. The low attack complexity and network accessibility mean this can be exploited remotely without specialized tools once an attacker obtains operator-level credentials.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 21, 2026

An authorization mismatch vulnerability in OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.1 allows authenticated users with operator.write scope to escalate privileges and execute owner-only administrative functions including gateway and cron management through agent runs in scoped-token deployments. This is a privilege escalation issue affecting deployments using scoped authentication tokens, where write-level access can be exploited to perform control-plane operations reserved for owners. With a CVSS score of 8.8 and network-accessible attack vector, this represents a significant authorization bypass, though no KEV listing or public exploitation indicators are currently available.

RemediationAI

Immediately upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.3.1 or later, which addresses the authorization mismatch in agent run execution as documented in the GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-jr6x-2q95-fh2g. Organizations unable to patch immediately should implement defense-in-depth measures including restricting operator.write scope assignments to only essential personnel, implementing audit logging for all agent run invocations to detect potential exploitation attempts, and reviewing existing agent run configurations for unauthorized owner-level actions. If feasible, temporarily disable agent run functionality for users with only operator.write scope until patching is completed. Organizations not using scoped-token deployments may have reduced exposure but should still prioritize upgrading. Consult the VulnCheck advisory at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authorization-bypass-in-agent-runs-via-owner-only-tool-access for additional technical details on the vulnerability mechanics.

Affected VersionsENISA

OpenClaw 0 <2026.3.1

Affected Packages

npm openclaw fix: 2026.3.1

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

This vulnerability affects OpenClaw (cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*), which appears to be a workflow or automation platform with agent-based execution and role-based access control using scoped tokens. The root cause is CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), where the system fails to consistently enforce owner-only access controls during agent execution workflows. The authorization logic appears to correctly gate direct API calls but fails to validate permissions when the same privileged operations (gateway configuration, cron job management) are invoked indirectly through agent runs, creating a permission boundary bypass. This type of inconsistent authorization enforcement is common in systems with multiple code paths to the same functionality, where security checks are implemented at the wrong architectural layer.

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
Analysis Updated
Apr 16, 2026 - 06:18 EUVD-patch-fix
executive summary
Patch available
Apr 16, 2026 - 05:29 EUVD
2026.3.1
PoC Detected
Mar 23, 2026 - 17:08 vuln.today
Public exploit code
CVE Published
Mar 21, 2026 - 00:42 nvd
HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.1 contain an authorization mismatch vulnerability that allows authenticated callers with operator.write scope to invoke owner-only tool surfaces including gateway and cron through agent runs in scoped-token deployments. Attackers with write-scope access can perform control-plane actions beyond their intended authorization level by exploiting inconsistent owner-only gating during agent execution.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.1 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability allowing authenticated operators to perform owner-only administrative functions, including gateway and cron management, in deployments using scoped authentication tokens. This authorization bypass directly compromises separation of administrative duties and control-plane integrity for organizations relying on role-based access controls in OpenClaw environments.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: restrict operator.write scope assignments to highly trusted personnel only; implement detailed logging and alerting on administrative function execution (gateway, cron management, agent runs); conduct weekly manual audits of administrative activity logs; consider disabling scoped-token deployments in favor of role-based access control until patched.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 82% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment CIRCL GitHub VulDB

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.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

64
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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