CVE-2026-35637: OpenClaw Tlon Cite Expansion Happens Before Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vfg3-pqpq-93m4
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CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35637 is a MODERATE tlon cite expansion happens before vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves tlon cite expansion happens before channel and dm authorization is complete. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-35637 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35637
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vfg3-pqpq-93m4
Severity MODERATE
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-2026-35637

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-2026-35637, 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-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 Tlon cite expansion happened before channel and DM authorization completed, allowing cite work and content handling before the final auth decision. ## 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) - `3cbf932413e41d1836cb91aed1541a28a3122f93` - `ebee4e2210e1f282a982c7ef2ad79d77a572fc87` ## Release Status The fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. ## Code-Level Confirmation - extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts now defers cite expansion until after authorization and preserves explicit empty-allowlist semantics. - extensions/tlon/src/monitor/utils.ts and extensions/tlon/src/security.test.ts ship the deferred cite expansion behavior and regressions. OpenClaw thanks @zpbrent for reporting.

CVE-2026-35637 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-vfg3-pqpq-93m4
NVD — CVE-2026-35637 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35637
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3cbf932413e41d1836cb91aed1541a28a3122f93
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/ebee4e2210e1f282a982c7ef2ad79d77a572fc87
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-premature-cite-expansion-before-authorization-in-channel-and-dm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35637?
CVE-2026-35637 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Tlon cite expansion happens before channel and DM authorization is complete under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35637?
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-2026-35637?
CVE-2026-35637 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-2026-35637?
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-vfg3-pqpq-93m4",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T20:20:23Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T21:27:49Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35637" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Tlon cite expansion happens before channel and DM authorization is complete",
  "details" : "## Summary\nTlon cite expansion happened before channel and DM authorization completed, allowing cite work and content handling before the final auth decision.\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- `3cbf932413e41d1836cb91aed1541a28a3122f93`\n- `ebee4e2210e1f282a982c7ef2ad79d77a572fc87`\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- extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts now defers cite expansion until after authorization and preserves explicit empty-allowlist semantics.\n- extensions/tlon/src/monitor/utils.ts and extensions/tlon/src/security.test.ts ship the deferred cite expansion behavior and regressions.\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:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "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-vfg3-pqpq-93m4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35637"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3cbf932413e41d1836cb91aed1541a28a3122f93"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/ebee4e2210e1f282a982c7ef2ad79d77a572fc87"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-premature-cite-expansion-before-authorization-in-channel-and-dm"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T21:27:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}