CVE-2026-35662: Openclaw OpenClaw Leaf Subagents Can Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x2cm-hg9c-mf5w
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-862 CWE-285
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-35662 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) openclaw leaf subagents can bypass vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw leaf subagents can bypass controlscope restrictions to send messages to child sessions. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-35662 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-35662
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x2cm-hg9c-mf5w
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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:L/A:N).

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 Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-35662

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-2026-35662, 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-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 Leaf subagents could still use the send action to message controlled child sessions even when their controlScope was narrower than children. ## 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) - `7679eb375294941b02214c234aff3948796969d0` ## 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/auto-reply/reply/commands-subagents/action-send.ts now threads controller context through the send path. - src/agents/subagent-control.ts now blocks send attempts unless the requester owns the target and has controlScope="children". OpenClaw thanks @space08 for reporting.

CVE-2026-35662 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-x2cm-hg9c-mf5w
NVD — CVE-2026-35662 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35662
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/7679eb375294941b02214c234aff3948796969d0
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-missing-controlscope-enforcement-in-send-action

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35662?
CVE-2026-35662 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw leaf subagents can bypass controlScope restrictions to send messages to child sessions under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-35662?
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 is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-35662?
CVE-2026-35662 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-35662?
CVE-2026-35662 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-2026-35662?
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-x2cm-hg9c-mf5w",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T19:42:27Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T21:44:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-35662" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw leaf subagents can bypass controlScope restrictions to send messages to child sessions",
  "details" : "## Summary\nLeaf subagents could still use the send action to message controlled child sessions even when their controlScope was narrower than children.\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- `7679eb375294941b02214c234aff3948796969d0`\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/auto-reply/reply/commands-subagents/action-send.ts now threads controller context through the send path.\n- src/agents/subagent-control.ts now blocks send attempts unless the requester owns the target and has controlScope=\"children\".\n\nOpenClaw thanks @space08 for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/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-x2cm-hg9c-mf5w"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35662"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/7679eb375294941b02214c234aff3948796969d0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-missing-controlscope-enforcement-in-send-action"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-285", "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T21:44:41Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-10T17:17:07Z"
  }
}