CVE-2026-41404: OpenClaw Incomplete Scope-clearing Fix Allows Operator.admin Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g374-mggx-p6xc
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CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41404 is a HIGH incomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves incomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin escalation via trusted-proxy auth mode. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.31.

CVE-2026-41404 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41404
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g374-mggx-p6xc
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-2026-41404

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: 2026.3.31 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.31
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-2026-41404, 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 2026.3.31), 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 Incomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin escalation via trusted-proxy auth mode ## Current Maintainer Triage - Normalized severity: high - Assessment: v2026.3.28 still misses trusted-proxy scope clearing for non-Control-UI clients, so self-declared operator scopes can survive on a real identity-bearing auth path; the complete fix is unreleased. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31` - Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.28` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31` - First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.31` ## Fix Commit(s) - `8b88b927cb0747ad24d95b07d35682bf85dc5b0e` — 2026-03-30T14:19:00+01:00 OpenClaw thanks @north-echo for reporting.

CVE-2026-41404 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.31
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.31
2026.3.31

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-g374-mggx-p6xc
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/8b88b927cb0747ad24d95b07d35682bf85dc5b0e
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.31

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41404?
CVE-2026-41404 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Incomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin escalation via trusted-proxy auth mode under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.31 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41404?
Upgrading to 2026.3.31 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.31. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.31 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41404?
CVE-2026-41404 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-2026-41404?
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-g374-mggx-p6xc",
  "modified" : "2026-04-28T18:23:43Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-03T03:05:48Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41404" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Incomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin escalation via trusted-proxy auth mode",
  "details" : "## Summary\nIncomplete scope-clearing fix allows operator.admin escalation via trusted-proxy auth mode\n\n## Current Maintainer Triage\n- Normalized severity: high\n- Assessment: v2026.3.28 still misses trusted-proxy scope clearing for non-Control-UI clients, so self-declared operator scopes can survive on a real identity-bearing auth path; the complete fix is unreleased.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31`\n- Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.28`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31`\n- First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.31`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `8b88b927cb0747ad24d95b07d35682bf85dc5b0e` — 2026-03-30T14:19:00+01:00\n\nOpenClaw thanks @north-echo for reporting.",
  "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:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.31"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.28"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-g374-mggx-p6xc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/8b88b927cb0747ad24d95b07d35682bf85dc5b0e"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.31"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-03T03:05:48Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}