CVE-2026-22172: OpenClaw WebSocket Shared-auth Connections Could Self-declare Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8
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CVSS 9.9
CWE-269 CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-22172 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.9) websocket shared-auth connections could self-declare vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves websocket shared-auth connections could self-declare elevated scopes. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.12.

CVE-2026-22172 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-22172
GHSA Identifier GHSA-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.9
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.9

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:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-22172

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: 2026.3.12 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.12
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-2026-22172, 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 2026.3.12), 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-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. 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 A logic flaw in the OpenClaw gateway WebSocket connect path allowed certain device-less shared-token or password-authenticated backend connections to keep client-declared scopes without server-side binding. A shared-authenticated client could present elevated scopes such as `operator.admin` even though those scopes were not tied to a device identity or an explicitly trusted Control UI path. ### Impact This crossed the intended authorization boundary and could let a shared-secret-authenticated backend client perform admin-only gateway operations. ### Affected versions `openclaw` `<= 2026.3.11` ### Patch Fixed in `openclaw` `2026.3.12`. The gateway now clears unbound scopes for non-Control-UI shared-auth connections, and regression tests cover the device-less shared-auth path.

CVE-2026-22172 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.12
2026.3.12

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/44306
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/5e389d5e7c9233ec91026ab2fea299ebaf3249f6
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.12

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22172?
CVE-2026-22172 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving WebSocket shared-auth connections could self-declare elevated scopes under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.12 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-22172?
Upgrading to 2026.3.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.12. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-22172?
CVE-2026-22172 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.9 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-22172?
CVE-2026-22172 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-22172?
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-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8",
  "modified" : "2026-03-20T21:04:19Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-13T20:55:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22172" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: WebSocket shared-auth connections could self-declare elevated scopes",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nA logic flaw in the OpenClaw gateway WebSocket connect path allowed certain device-less shared-token or password-authenticated backend connections to keep client-declared scopes without server-side binding. A shared-authenticated client could present elevated scopes such as `operator.admin` even though those scopes were not tied to a device identity or an explicitly trusted Control UI path.\n\n### Impact\n\nThis crossed the intended authorization boundary and could let a shared-secret-authenticated backend client perform admin-only gateway operations.\n\n### Affected versions\n\n`openclaw` `<= 2026.3.11`\n\n### Patch\n\nFixed in `openclaw` `2026.3.12`. The gateway now clears unbound scopes for non-Control-UI shared-auth connections, and regression tests cover the device-less shared-auth path.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.12"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.11"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rqpp-rjj8-7wv8"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/44306"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/5e389d5e7c9233ec91026ab2fea299ebaf3249f6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.12"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-13T20:55:24Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}