CVE-2026-33579: OpenClaw /pair Approve Command Path Omitted Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497
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CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-33579 is a CRITICAL /pair approve command path omitted vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.28.

CVE-2026-33579 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-33579
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497
Severity CRITICAL
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-2026-33579

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: 2026.3.28 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.28
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-2026-33579, 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 2026.3.28), 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 The `/pair approve` command path called device approval without forwarding caller scopes into the core approval check. ## Impact A caller that held pairing privileges but not admin privileges could approve a pending device request asking for broader scopes, including admin access. ## Affected Component `extensions/device-pair/index.ts, src/infra/device-pairing.ts` ## Fixed Versions - Affected: `<= 2026.3.24` - Patched: `>= 2026.3.28` - Latest stable `2026.3.28` contains the fix. ## Fix Fixed by commit `4ee4960de2` (`Pairing: forward caller scopes during approval`). OpenClaw thanks @AntAISecurityLab for reporting.

CVE-2026-33579 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.28
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.28
2026.3.28

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497
NVD — CVE-2026-33579 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33579
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4ee4960de2330b5322127f925f3687dc6f105be1
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-missing-caller-scope-validation-in-device-pair-approval

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-33579?
CVE-2026-33579 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.28 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-33579?
Upgrading to 2026.3.28 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.28. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.28 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-33579?
CVE-2026-33579 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-2026-33579?
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-hc5h-pmr3-3497",
  "modified" : "2026-04-06T23:39:43Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-31T23:50:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-33579" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nThe `/pair approve` command path called device approval without forwarding caller scopes into the core approval check.\n\n## Impact\n\nA caller that held pairing privileges but not admin privileges could approve a pending device request asking for broader scopes, including admin access.\n\n## Affected Component\n\n`extensions/device-pair/index.ts, src/infra/device-pairing.ts`\n\n## Fixed Versions\n\n- Affected: `<= 2026.3.24`\n- Patched: `>= 2026.3.28`\n- Latest stable `2026.3.28` contains the fix.\n\n## Fix\n\nFixed by commit `4ee4960de2` (`Pairing: forward caller scopes during approval`).\n\nOpenClaw thanks @AntAISecurityLab 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:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.28"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.24"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33579"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4ee4960de2330b5322127f925f3687dc6f105be1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-missing-caller-scope-validation-in-device-pair-approval"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-31T23:50:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}