CVE-2026-42429: OpenClaw Gateway Plugin HTTP `auth: Gateway` Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4f8g-77mw-3rxc
Share
CVSS 7.1
CWE-269 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-42429 is a LOW (CVSS 7.1) gateway plugin http `auth: gateway` vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves gateway plugin http `auth: gateway` widens identity-bearing `operator.read` requests into runtime `operator.write`. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.8.

CVE-2026-42429 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-42429
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4f8g-77mw-3rxc
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.1
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
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:L/I:H/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 Low (C:L)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-42429

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: 2026.4.8 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.8
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-2026-42429, 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 2026.4.8), 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

## Impact Gateway plugin HTTP `auth: gateway` widens identity-bearing `operator.read` requests into runtime `operator.write`. Plugin HTTP routes using gateway auth could receive runtime write scopes even when the upstream trusted-proxy request only declared read. OpenClaw is a user-controlled local assistant. This advisory is scoped to the OpenClaw trust model and does not assume a multi-tenant service boundary. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `2026.1.29` - Patched versions: `2026.4.8` ## Fix The issue was fixed on `main` and is available in the patched npm version listed above. The verified fixed tree is commit `d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5`. ## Verification The fix was re-checked against `main` before publication, including targeted regression tests for the affected security boundary. ## Credits Thanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.

CVE-2026-42429 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.8
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.8
2026.4.8

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-4f8g-77mw-3rxc
NVD — CVE-2026-42429 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42429
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-gateway-plugin-http-authentication

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42429?
CVE-2026-42429 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Gateway plugin HTTP `auth: gateway` widens identity-bearing `operator.read` requests into runtime `operator.write` under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.8 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-42429?
Upgrading to 2026.4.8 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.8. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.8 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-42429?
CVE-2026-42429 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-42429?
CVE-2026-42429 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-2026-42429?
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-4f8g-77mw-3rxc",
  "modified" : "2026-06-08T23:25:13Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-09T17:36:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-42429" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Gateway plugin HTTP `auth: gateway` widens identity-bearing `operator.read` requests into runtime `operator.write`",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nGateway plugin HTTP `auth: gateway` widens identity-bearing `operator.read` requests into runtime `operator.write`.\n\nPlugin HTTP routes using gateway auth could receive runtime write scopes even when the upstream trusted-proxy request only declared read.\n\nOpenClaw is a user-controlled local assistant. This advisory is scoped to the OpenClaw trust model and does not assume a multi-tenant service boundary.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `2026.1.29`\n- Patched versions: `2026.4.8`\n\n## Fix\n\nThe issue was fixed on `main` and is available in the patched npm version listed above. The verified fixed tree is commit `d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5`.\n\n## Verification\n\nThe fix was re-checked against `main` before publication, including targeted regression tests for the affected security boundary.\n\n## Credits\n\nThanks @smaeljaish771 for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/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" : "2026.4.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-4f8g-77mw-3rxc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42429"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-gateway-plugin-http-authentication"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-09T17:36:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-28T19:37:46Z"
  }
}