CVE-2026-35639: OpenClaw Gateway Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hf68-49fm-59cq
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CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35639 is a CRITICAL remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting OpenClaw Gateway libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves rce and privilege escalation from operator.pairing to operator.admin via device.pair.approve. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-35639 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35639
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hf68-49fm-59cq
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product OpenClaw Gateway
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-35639

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenClaw Gateway 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-2026-35639, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenClaw Gateway 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 Gateway, 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 device.pair.approve allowed an operator.pairing approver to approve a pending device request for broader operator scopes than the approver actually held. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: < 2026.3.22 - Fixed: >= 2026.3.22 - Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`) - Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2` ## Fix Commit(s) - `fc2d29ea926f47c428c556e92ec981441228d2a4` ## Release Status The fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. ## Code-Level Confirmation - src/gateway/server-methods/devices.ts now threads caller scopes into device.pair.approve. - src/infra/device-pairing.ts now rejects requested operator scopes that exceed the approver-held operator scope set. OpenClaw thanks @zpbrent for reporting.

CVE-2026-35639 Affected OpenClaw Gateway 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-hf68-49fm-59cq
NVD — CVE-2026-35639 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35639
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/fc2d29ea926f47c428c556e92ec981441228d2a4
OpenClaw Gateway Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-device-pair-approve-scope-validation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35639?
CVE-2026-35639 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw Gateway involving RCE and Privilege Escalation from operator.pairing to operator.admin via device.pair.approve under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which OpenClaw Gateway versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35639?
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 CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35639?
CVE-2026-35639 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-2026-35639?
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-hf68-49fm-59cq",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T20:20:13Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T21:40:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35639" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw Gateway: RCE and Privilege Escalation from operator.pairing to operator.admin via device.pair.approve",
  "details" : "## Summary\ndevice.pair.approve allowed an operator.pairing approver to approve a pending device request for broader operator scopes than the approver actually held.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: < 2026.3.22\n- Fixed: >= 2026.3.22\n- Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`)\n- Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `fc2d29ea926f47c428c556e92ec981441228d2a4`\n\n## Release Status\nThe fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`.\n\n## Code-Level Confirmation\n- src/gateway/server-methods/devices.ts now threads caller scopes into device.pair.approve.\n- src/infra/device-pairing.ts now rejects requested operator scopes that exceed the approver-held operator scope set.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @zpbrent 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" : "2026.3.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hf68-49fm-59cq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35639"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/fc2d29ea926f47c428c556e92ec981441228d2a4"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-device-pair-approve-scope-validation"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T21:40:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}