OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

9.4 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

EPSS

• CVE-2026-32916: 0.48% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 41.36 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary In affected versions of openclaw, the plugin subagent runtime dispatched gateway methods through a synthetic operator client that always carried broad administrative scopes. Plugin-owned HTTP routes using auth: "plugin" could therefore trigger admin-only gateway actions without normal gateway authorization. Impact This is a critical authorization bypass. An external unauthenticated request to a plugin-owned route could reach privileged subagent runtime methods and perform admin-only gateway actions such as deleting sessions, reading session data, or triggering agent execution. Affected Packages and Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected versions: = 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11 - Fixed in: 2026.3.11 Technical Details The new plugin subagent runtime preserved neither the original caller's auth context nor least-privilege scope. Instead, it executed gateway dispatches through a fabricated operator client with administrative scopes, which was reachable from plugin-owned routes…

Published by the source

13 Mar 2026, 15:47 UTC

Last modified by the source

6 Apr 2026, 23:12 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:47 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728

3. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-32916

Advisory: OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes
IDs: CVE-2026-32916, GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-32916 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:47 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.4)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.3.11. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected >= 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11; fixed in 2026.3.11

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls openclaw --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on openclaw.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=2026.3.7 <2026.3.11)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728 (OSV record GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=2026.3.7 <2026.3.11 (fixed))

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