CVE-2026-41386: OpenClaw Unbound Bootstrap Setup Codes Allow Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gg9v-mgcp-v6m7
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-269 CWE-648
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41386 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.8) unbound bootstrap setup codes allow vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unbound bootstrap setup codes allow privilege escalation during pairing. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-41386 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41386
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gg9v-mgcp-v6m7
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-41386

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-2026-41386, 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-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 Bootstrap setup codes were not bound to the intended device role and scopes, allowing first-use privilege escalation during pairing. ## Current Maintainer Triage - Status: open - Normalized severity: high - Assessment: Real first-use bootstrap privilege-escalation bug fixed and shipped in v2026.3.22+, so keep open for publication with current severity. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31` - Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.13-1` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.22` - First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.22` ## Fix Commit(s) - `a600c72ed7d0045a27f58bf031d2b36ecb0141c9` — 2026-03-22T23:57:15-07:00 OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

CVE-2026-41386 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-gg9v-mgcp-v6m7
NVD — CVE-2026-41386 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41386
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/a600c72ed7d0045a27f58bf031d2b36ecb0141c9
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-unbound-bootstrap-setup-codes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41386?
CVE-2026-41386 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Unbound bootstrap setup codes allow privilege escalation during pairing under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41386?
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 is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41386?
CVE-2026-41386 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41386?
CVE-2026-41386 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-2026-41386?
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-gg9v-mgcp-v6m7",
  "modified" : "2026-05-06T22:23:23Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-03T03:19:33Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41386" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Unbound bootstrap setup codes allow privilege escalation during pairing",
  "details" : "## Summary\nBootstrap setup codes were not bound to the intended device role and scopes, allowing first-use privilege escalation during pairing.\n\n## Current Maintainer Triage\n- Status: open\n- Normalized severity: high\n- Assessment: Real first-use bootstrap privilege-escalation bug fixed and shipped in v2026.3.22+, so keep open for publication with current severity.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31`\n- Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.13-1`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.22`\n- First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.22`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `a600c72ed7d0045a27f58bf031d2b36ecb0141c9` — 2026-03-22T23:57:15-07:00\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:H/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.22"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.13-1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-gg9v-mgcp-v6m7"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41386"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/a600c72ed7d0045a27f58bf031d2b36ecb0141c9"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-unbound-bootstrap-setup-codes"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-648" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-03T03:19:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-28T19:37:41Z"
  }
}