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CVE-2026-22172

CRITICAL

OpenClaw: WebSocket shared-auth connections could self-declare elevated scopes

Published March 13, 2026Updated March 20, 2026Source: osv

Summary

### Summary A logic flaw in the OpenClaw gateway WebSocket connect path allowed certain device-less shared-token or password-authenticated backend connections to keep client-declared scopes without server-side binding. A shared-authenticated client could present elevated scopes such as `operator.admin` even though those scopes were not tied to a device identity or an explicitly trusted Control UI path. ### Impact This crossed the intended authorization boundary and could let a shared-secret-authenticated backend client perform admin-only gateway operations. ### Affected versions `openclaw` `<= 2026.3.11` ### Patch Fixed in `openclaw` `2026.3.12`. The gateway now clears unbound scopes for non-Control-UI shared-auth connections, and regression tests cover the device-less shared-auth path.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm
Update openclaw to 2026.3.12 or later
npm install openclaw@2026.3.12

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
openclaw
npm
All versions2026.3.12

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

  • CWE-269
    Improper Privilege ManagementMITRE
  • CWE-862
    Missing AuthorizationMITRE

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.9 score means for each attack dimension.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22172?
OpenClaw: WebSocket shared-auth connections could self-declare elevated scopes This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.9/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-22172?
CVE-2026-22172 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-22172 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
9.9

Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.

Also Known As

GHSA-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8

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