CVE-2026-28472: Openclaw OpenClaw's Gateway Connect Could Skip Vulnerability
CRITICALCVE-2026-28472 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) openclaw's gateway connect could skip vulnerability (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw's gateway connect could skip device identity checks when auth.token was present but not yet validated. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.2.
CVE-2026-28472 at a Glance
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).
How to Fix CVE-2026-28472
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.
npm install openclaw@2026.2.2Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls openclawHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-28472, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze 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 2026.2.2), 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-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, where the product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources. 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
CVE-2026-28472 Affected Openclaw Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.2.2
|
2026.2.2
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-28472?
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-28472?
Is openclaw affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-28472?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28472?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-28472?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-rv39-79c4-7459",
"modified" : "2026-03-10T18:37:22Z",
"published" : "2026-02-17T16:37:04Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28472" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw's gateway connect could skip device identity checks when auth.token was present but not yet validated",
"details" : "### Summary\n\nThe gateway WebSocket `connect` handshake could allow skipping device identity checks when `auth.token` was present but not yet validated.\n\n### Details\n\nIn `src/gateway/server/ws-connection/message-handler.ts`, the device-identity requirement could be bypassed based on the *presence* of a non-empty `connectParams.auth.token` rather than a *validated* shared-secret authentication result.\n\n### Impact\n\nIn deployments where the gateway WebSocket is reachable and connections can be authorized via Tailscale without validating the shared secret, a client could connect without providing device identity/pairing. Depending on version and configuration, this could result in operator access.\n\n### Deployment Guidance\n\nPer OpenClaw security guidance, the gateway should only be reachable from a trusted network and by trusted users (for example, restrict Tailnet users/ACLs when using Tailscale Serve).\n\nIf the gateway WebSocket is only reachable by trusted users, there is typically no untrusted party with network access to exploit this issue.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.1`\n- Fixed: `>= 2026.2.2`\n\n### Fix\n\nDevice-identity skipping now requires *validated* shared-secret authentication (token/password). Tailscale-authenticated connections without validated shared secret require device identity.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n\n- fe81b1d7125a014b8280da461f34efbf5f761575\n\nThanks @simecek 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:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/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" : "2026.2.2"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rv39-79c4-7459"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28472"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/fe81b1d7125a014b8280da461f34efbf5f761575"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.2"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-device-identity-check-bypass-in-gateway-websocket-connect-handshake"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-306" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-17T16:37:04Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-05T22:16:21Z"
}
}