OpenClaw: Pairing-scoped device tokens could mint operator.admin and reach node RCE

Exploitation

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

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-32922: 0.73% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 54.26 (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, a caller holding only operator.pairing could use device.token.rotate to mint a new token with broader scopes for an already paired device. If the target device was approved for operator.admin, the attacker could obtain an administrative token without already holding administrative scope. Impact This is a critical authorization flaw. On deployments with connected node hosts or companion apps that expose system.run, the escalated token could then modify node execution approvals and reach real remote code execution on the node. Even without nodes, the flaw still granted unauthorized gateway-admin access. Affected Packages and Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected versions: <= 2026.3.8 - Fixed in: 2026.3.11 Technical Details device.token.rotate accepted caller-supplied target scopes and validated them against the target device's approved scopes, but it did not constrain the newly minted scopes to the caller's own current scope set. That…

Published by the source

13 Mar 2026, 15:47 UTC

Last modified by the source

8 Jul 2026, 07:35 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc

3. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-32922

Advisory: OpenClaw: Pairing-scoped device tokens could mint `operator.admin` and reach node RCE
IDs: CVE-2026-32922, GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-4jpw-hj22-2xmc (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.9)
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 < 2026.3.11; 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-4jpw-hj22-2xmc (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.3.11)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc (OSV record GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.3.11 (fixed))

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