CVE-2026-35663: OpenClaw Gateway Backend Reconnect Lets Non-Admin Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9hjh-fr4f-gxc4
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CWE-269 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35663 is a CRITICAL gateway backend reconnect lets non-admin vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves gateway backend reconnect lets non-admin operator scopes self-claim operator.admin. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-35663 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35663
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9hjh-fr4f-gxc4
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-35663

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: Latest secure release 
npm install openclaw@Latest secure release
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-2026-35663, 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 the patched release), 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-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. 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 Gateway Backend Reconnect lets Non-Admin Operator Scopes Self-Claim operator.admin ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` - Affected versions: `<= 2026.3.24` - First patched version: `2026.3.25` - Latest published npm version at verification time: `2026.3.24` ## Details Backend-labeled reconnects could previously self-request broader scopes and bypass pairing, allowing non-admin operators to reconnect as `operator.admin`. Commit `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48` removes the backend self-pairing skip and requires pairing when requested scopes exceed the approved baseline. Verified vulnerable on tag `v2026.3.24` and fixed on `main` by commit `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48`. ## Fix Commit(s) - `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48`

CVE-2026-35663 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
≤ 2026.3.24

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-9hjh-fr4f-gxc4
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35663?
CVE-2026-35663 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Gateway Backend Reconnect lets Non-Admin Operator Scopes Self-Claim operator.admin under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35663?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35663?
CVE-2026-35663 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-35663?
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-9hjh-fr4f-gxc4",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T17:28:06Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-27T22:29:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35663" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Gateway Backend Reconnect lets Non-Admin Operator Scopes Self-Claim operator.admin",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nGateway Backend Reconnect lets Non-Admin Operator Scopes Self-Claim operator.admin\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw`\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.3.24`\n- First patched version: `2026.3.25`\n- Latest published npm version at verification time: `2026.3.24`\n\n## Details\n\nBackend-labeled reconnects could previously self-request broader scopes and bypass pairing, allowing non-admin operators to reconnect as `operator.admin`. Commit `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48` removes the backend self-pairing skip and requires pairing when requested scopes exceed the approved baseline.\n\nVerified vulnerable on tag `v2026.3.24` and fixed on `main` by commit `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48`.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48`",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2026.3.24"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-9hjh-fr4f-gxc4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d3d8e316bd819d3c7e34253aeb7eccb2510f5f48"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-27T22:29:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}