CVE-2026-41301: OpenClaw Forged Nostr DMs Could Create Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h43v-27wg-5mf9
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-347
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41301 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) forged nostr dms could create vulnerability (CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves forged nostr dms could create pairing state before signature verification. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.31.

CVE-2026-41301 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41301
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h43v-27wg-5mf9
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

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:N/I:N/A:L).

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 None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-41301

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-2026-41301, 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-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature, where the product does not verify, or incorrectly verifies, the cryptographic signature for data. 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 Before OpenClaw 2026.3.31, the Nostr DM ingress path could issue pairing challenges before validating the event signature. A forged DM could create a pending pairing entry and trigger a pairing-reply attempt before signature rejection. ## Impact An unauthenticated remote sender could consume shared pairing capacity and trigger bounded relay/logging work on the Nostr channel. This issue did not grant message decryption, pairing approval, or broader authorization bypass. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `>= 2026.3.22, < 2026.3.31` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `4ee742174f36b5445703e3b1ef2fbd6ae6700fa4` — verify inbound DM signatures before pairing replies ## Release Process Note The fix shipped in OpenClaw `2026.3.31` on March 31, 2026. The current published npm release `2026.4.1` from April 1, 2026 also contains the fix. Thanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.

CVE-2026-41301 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.31
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
≥ 2026.3.22
< 2026.3.31
2026.3.31

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-h43v-27wg-5mf9
NVD — CVE-2026-41301 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41301
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4ee742174f36b5445703e3b1ef2fbd6ae6700fa4
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-forged-nostr-dm-pairing-state-creation-via-signature-verification-bypass

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41301?
CVE-2026-41301 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Forged Nostr DMs could create pairing state before signature verification under CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.31 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41301?
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 is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41301?
CVE-2026-41301 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41301?
CVE-2026-41301 is classified under CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature (The product does not verify, or incorrectly verifies, the cryptographic signature for data.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-41301?
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-h43v-27wg-5mf9",
  "modified" : "2026-04-24T21:04:46Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-07T18:14:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41301" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Forged Nostr DMs could create pairing state before signature verification",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nBefore OpenClaw 2026.3.31, the Nostr DM ingress path could issue pairing challenges before validating the event signature. A forged DM could create a pending pairing entry and trigger a pairing-reply attempt before signature rejection.\n\n## Impact\n\nAn unauthenticated remote sender could consume shared pairing capacity and trigger bounded relay/logging work on the Nostr channel. This issue did not grant message decryption, pairing approval, or broader authorization bypass.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `>= 2026.3.22, < 2026.3.31`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31`\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `4ee742174f36b5445703e3b1ef2fbd6ae6700fa4` — verify inbound DM signatures before pairing replies\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nThe fix shipped in OpenClaw `2026.3.31` on March 31, 2026. The current published npm release `2026.4.1` from April 1, 2026 also contains the fix.\n\nThanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2026.3.22"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.31"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-h43v-27wg-5mf9"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41301"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4ee742174f36b5445703e3b1ef2fbd6ae6700fa4"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-forged-nostr-dm-pairing-state-creation-via-signature-verification-bypass"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-347" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-07T18:14:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-21T00:16:30Z"
  }
}