CVE-2026-35627: OpenClaw Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-65h8-27jh-q8wv
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CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35627 is a HIGH remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves nostr inbound dms could trigger unauthenticated crypto work before sender policy enforcement. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-35627 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35627
GHSA Identifier GHSA-65h8-27jh-q8wv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-35627

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenClaw dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openclaw fixed: 2026.3.22 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.22
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls openclaw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-35627, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenClaw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.3.22), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls openclaw command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. In OpenClaw, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

## Summary Nostr inbound DM handling could perform crypto and dispatch work before sender and pairing policy enforcement, enabling unauthorized pre-auth computation. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: < 2026.3.22 - Fixed: >= 2026.3.22 - Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`) - Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2` ## Fix Commit(s) - `1ee9611079e81b9122f4bed01abb3d9f56206c77` ## Release Status The fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. ## Code-Level Confirmation - extensions/nostr/src/channel.ts now performs authorization before decrypting and dispatching inbound DM content. - extensions/nostr/src/nostr-bus.ts adds pre-crypto authorization, size, and rate guardrails before expensive decrypt work. OpenClaw thanks @kuranikaran for reporting.

CVE-2026-35627 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.22
2026.3.22

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-65h8-27jh-q8wv
NVD — CVE-2026-35627 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35627
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/1ee9611079e81b9122f4bed01abb3d9f56206c77
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-unauthenticated-cryptographic-work-in-nostr-inbound-dm-handling

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35627?
CVE-2026-35627 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Nostr inbound DMs could trigger unauthenticated crypto work before sender policy enforcement under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35627?
Upgrading to 2026.3.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.22. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.22 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35627?
CVE-2026-35627 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-35627?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-65h8-27jh-q8wv",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T20:19:14Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T19:08:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35627" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Nostr inbound DMs could trigger unauthenticated crypto work before sender policy enforcement",
  "details" : "## Summary\nNostr inbound DM handling could perform crypto and dispatch work before sender and pairing policy enforcement, enabling unauthorized pre-auth computation.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: < 2026.3.22\n- Fixed: >= 2026.3.22\n- Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`)\n- Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `1ee9611079e81b9122f4bed01abb3d9f56206c77`\n\n## Release Status\nThe fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`.\n\n## Code-Level Confirmation\n- extensions/nostr/src/channel.ts now performs authorization before decrypting and dispatching inbound DM content.\n- extensions/nostr/src/nostr-bus.ts adds pre-crypto authorization, size, and rate guardrails before expensive decrypt work.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @kuranikaran for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-65h8-27jh-q8wv"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35627"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/1ee9611079e81b9122f4bed01abb3d9f56206c77"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-unauthenticated-cryptographic-work-in-nostr-inbound-dm-handling"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T19:08:34Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}