GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q: OpenClaw `browser.request` Let `operator.write` Persist Admin-only Vulnerability

HIGH
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CVSS 7.1
CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q is a HIGH (CVSS 7.1) `browser.request` let `operator.write` persist admin-only vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves `browser.request` let `operator.write` persist admin-only browser profile changes. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.11.

GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.1
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q

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: 2026.3.11 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.11
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 GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q, 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 2026.3.11), 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 An authorization mismatch in the gateway let an authenticated caller with only `operator.write` use `browser.request` to reach browser profile management routes that persist configuration to disk. In practice, this exposed an admin-only configuration write primitive through `/profiles/create`. ### Impact A write-scoped operator could create or modify browser profiles and store attacker-chosen remote CDP endpoints without holding `operator.admin`. ### Affected versions `openclaw` `<= 2026.3.8` ### Patch Fixed in `openclaw` `2026.3.11` and included in later releases such as `2026.3.12`. Browser profile creation now requires the correct admin boundary, and regression tests cover the write-vs-admin authorization split.

GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.11
2026.3.11

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.11

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q?
GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving `browser.request` let `operator.write` persist admin-only browser profile changes under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.11 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q?
Upgrading to 2026.3.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.11. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q?
GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q?
GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q 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 GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q?
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-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q",
  "modified" : "2026-03-13T20:54:25Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-13T20:54:25Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: `browser.request` let `operator.write` persist admin-only browser profile changes",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nAn authorization mismatch in the gateway let an authenticated caller with only `operator.write` use `browser.request` to reach browser profile management routes that persist configuration to disk. In practice, this exposed an admin-only configuration write primitive through `/profiles/create`.\n\n### Impact\n\nA write-scoped operator could create or modify browser profiles and store attacker-chosen remote CDP endpoints without holding `operator.admin`.\n\n### Affected versions\n\n`openclaw` `<= 2026.3.8`\n\n### Patch\n\nFixed in `openclaw` `2026.3.11` and included in later releases such as `2026.3.12`. Browser profile creation now requires the correct admin boundary, and regression tests cover the write-vs-admin authorization split.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.11"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.8"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-vmhq-cqm9-6p7q"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.11"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-13T20:54:25Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}