CVE-2026-43574: OpenClaw Empty Approver Lists Could Grant Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-49cg-279w-m73x
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-183 CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-43574 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) empty approver lists could grant vulnerability (CWE-183: Permissive List of Allowed Inputs) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves empty approver lists could grant explicit approval authorization. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.12.

CVE-2026-43574 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-43574
GHSA Identifier GHSA-49cg-279w-m73x
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-183: Permissive List of Allowed Inputs
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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: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 High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-43574

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: 2026.4.12 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.12
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-2026-43574, 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 2026.4.12), 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-183: Permissive List of Allowed Inputs, where the product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are explicitly allowed by policy because the inputs are assumed to be safe, but the list is too permissive - that is, it allows an input that is unsafe, leading to resultant weaknesses. 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 Empty approver lists could grant explicit approval authorization. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` - Ecosystem: npm - Affected versions: `< 2026.4.12` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.12` ## Impact For helper-backed channels, an empty resolved approver list could be interpreted as explicit approval authorization, allowing a sender outside the normal channel authorization gate to resolve pending approvals if they knew an approval id. ## Technical Details The fix prevents empty approver lists from granting explicit approval authorization and adds regression coverage for unauthorized senders. ## Fix The issue was fixed in #65714. The first stable tag containing the fix is `v2026.4.12`, and `openclaw@2026.4.14` includes the fix. ## Fix Commit(s) - `0a105c0900de701d2ee9f1abc96b017afbd0afdd` - PR: #65714 ## Release Process Note Users should upgrade to `openclaw` 2026.4.12 or newer. The latest npm release, `2026.4.14`, already includes the fix. ## Credits Thanks to @anshumanbh for reporting this issue.

CVE-2026-43574 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.12
2026.4.12

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-49cg-279w-m73x
NVD — CVE-2026-43574 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43574
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/65714
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/0a105c0900de701d2ee9f1abc96b017afbd0afdd
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-improper-authorization-via-empty-approver-lists

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43574?
CVE-2026-43574 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Empty approver lists could grant explicit approval authorization under CWE-183: Permissive List of Allowed Inputs.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.12 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-43574?
Upgrading to 2026.4.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.12. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-43574?
CVE-2026-43574 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-43574?
CVE-2026-43574 is classified under CWE-183: Permissive List of Allowed Inputs (The product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are explicitly allowed by policy because the inputs are assumed to be safe, but the list is too permissive - that is, it allows an input that is unsafe, leading to resultant weaknesses.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-43574?
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-49cg-279w-m73x",
  "modified" : "2026-05-08T01:32:40Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-17T21:55:54Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-43574" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Empty approver lists could grant explicit approval authorization",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nEmpty approver lists could grant explicit approval authorization.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw`\n- Ecosystem: npm\n- Affected versions: `< 2026.4.12`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.12`\n\n## Impact\n\nFor helper-backed channels, an empty resolved approver list could be interpreted as explicit approval authorization, allowing a sender outside the normal channel authorization gate to resolve pending approvals if they knew an approval id.\n\n## Technical Details\n\nThe fix prevents empty approver lists from granting explicit approval authorization and adds regression coverage for unauthorized senders.\n\n## Fix\n\nThe issue was fixed in #65714. The first stable tag containing the fix is `v2026.4.12`, and `openclaw@2026.4.14` includes the fix.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `0a105c0900de701d2ee9f1abc96b017afbd0afdd`\n- PR: #65714\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nUsers should upgrade to `openclaw` 2026.4.12 or newer. The latest npm release, `2026.4.14`, already includes the fix.\n\n## Credits\n\nThanks to @anshumanbh for reporting this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/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" : "2026.4.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-49cg-279w-m73x"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43574"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/65714"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/0a105c0900de701d2ee9f1abc96b017afbd0afdd"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-improper-authorization-via-empty-approver-lists"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-183", "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-17T21:55:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-05T12:16:21Z"
  }
}