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CVE-2026-32916

CRITICAL

OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes

Published March 13, 2026Updated April 6, 2026Source: osv

Summary

## Summary In affected versions of `openclaw`, the plugin subagent runtime dispatched gateway methods through a synthetic operator client that always carried broad administrative scopes. Plugin-owned HTTP routes using `auth: "plugin"` could therefore trigger admin-only gateway actions without normal gateway authorization. ## Impact This is a critical authorization bypass. An external unauthenticated request to a plugin-owned route could reach privileged subagent runtime methods and perform admin-only gateway actions such as deleting sessions, reading session data, or triggering agent execution. ## Affected Packages and Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `>= 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11` - Fixed in: `2026.3.11` ## Technical Details The new plugin subagent runtime preserved neither the original caller's auth context nor least-privilege scope. Instead, it executed gateway dispatches through a fabricated operator client with administrative scopes, which was reachable from plugin-owned routes that intentionally bypass normal gateway auth so plugins can perform their own webhook verification. ## Fix OpenClaw now preserves real authorization boundaries for plugin subagent calls instead of dispatching them through synthetic admin scopes. The fix shipped in `openclaw@2026.3.11`. ## Workarounds Upgrade to `2026.3.11` or later.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm
Update openclaw to 2026.3.11 or later
npm install openclaw@2026.3.11

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

Affected Packages (1)

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
openclaw
npm
All versions2026.3.11

Vulnerability Classification

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

  • CWE-269
    Improper Privilege ManagementMITRE
  • CWE-285
    Improper AuthorizationMITRE

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.4 score means for each attack dimension.

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32916?
OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.4/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-32916?
CVE-2026-32916 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-32916 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
9.4

Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.

Also Known As

GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728

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