CVE-2026-35660: OpenClaw Gateway Agent /reset Exposes Admin Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wq58-2pvg-5h4f
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CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35660 is a HIGH gateway agent /reset exposes admin vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves gateway agent /reset exposes admin session reset to operator.write callers. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.23.

CVE-2026-35660 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35660
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wq58-2pvg-5h4f
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-35660

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: 2026.3.23 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.23
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-2026-35660, 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 2026.3.23), 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-862: Missing Authorization, where the product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. 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 Before `v2026.3.23`, the Gateway `agent` RPC accepted `/reset` and `/new` for callers with only `operator.write`, even though the direct `sessions.reset` RPC correctly requires `operator.admin`. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `< 2026.3.23` - Fixed: `>= 2026.3.23` - Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`) - Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2` ## Root Cause The vulnerable path lived in `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts`. A `/reset` or `/new` message with an explicit `sessionKey` reached `performGatewaySessionReset(...)` without enforcing the same `operator.admin` guard used by `sessions.reset`. ## Fix Commit(s) - `50f6a2f136fed85b58548a38f7a3dbb98d2cd1a0` — `fix(gateway): require admin for agent session reset` ## Release Status The fix commit is contained in released tags `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. The latest shipped tag and npm release both include the fix. ## Code-Level Confirmation - `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts` now rejects `/reset` and `/new` for callers that do not have `operator.admin` before calling `performGatewaySessionReset(...)`. - `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.test.ts` contains the regression test `rejects /reset for write-scoped gateway callers`. Thanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.

CVE-2026-35660 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.23
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.23
2026.3.23

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-wq58-2pvg-5h4f
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/50f6a2f136fed85b58548a38f7a3dbb98d2cd1a0
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35660?
CVE-2026-35660 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Gateway agent /reset exposes admin session reset to operator.write callers under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.23 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35660?
Upgrading to 2026.3.23 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.23. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.23 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35660?
CVE-2026-35660 is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization (The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-35660?
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-wq58-2pvg-5h4f",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T17:27:04Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T19:00:45Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35660" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Gateway agent /reset exposes admin session reset to operator.write callers",
  "details" : "## Summary\nBefore `v2026.3.23`, the Gateway `agent` RPC accepted `/reset` and `/new` for callers with only `operator.write`, even though the direct `sessions.reset` RPC correctly requires `operator.admin`.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `< 2026.3.23`\n- Fixed: `>= 2026.3.23`\n- Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`)\n- Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2`\n\n## Root Cause\nThe vulnerable path lived in `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts`. A `/reset` or `/new` message with an explicit `sessionKey` reached `performGatewaySessionReset(...)` without enforcing the same `operator.admin` guard used by `sessions.reset`.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `50f6a2f136fed85b58548a38f7a3dbb98d2cd1a0` — `fix(gateway): require admin for agent session reset`\n\n## Release Status\nThe fix commit is contained in released tags `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. The latest shipped tag and npm release both include the fix.\n\n## Code-Level Confirmation\n- `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts` now rejects `/reset` and `/new` for callers that do not have `operator.admin` before calling `performGatewaySessionReset(...)`.\n- `src/gateway/server-methods/agent.test.ts` contains the regression test `rejects /reset for write-scoped gateway callers`.\n\nThanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.23"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-wq58-2pvg-5h4f"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/50f6a2f136fed85b58548a38f7a3dbb98d2cd1a0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T19:00:45Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}