OpenClaw: Silent privilege escalation via gateway shared-auth reconnect

Exploitation

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

CVSS 4.0

9.4 · CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2026-35625: 0.19% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 8.91 (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 Gateway local shared-auth reconnect silently widens paired device scope from operator.read to operator.admin and reach node RCE Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw - Affected versions: <= 2026.3.24 - First patched version: 2026.3.25 - Latest published npm version at verification time: 2026.3.24 Details Silent local shared-auth reconnects could previously auto-approve scope-upgrade requests and widen a paired device from operator.read to operator.admin. Commit 81ebc7e0344fd19c85778e883bad45e2da972229 blocks silent reconnect scope upgrades so widened scopes require an explicit pairing approval instead of an implicit local reconnect path. Verified vulnerable on tag v2026.3.24 and fixed on main by commit 81ebc7e0344fd19c85778e883bad45e2da972229. Fix Commit(s) - 81ebc7e0344fd19c85778e883bad45e2da972229

Published by the source

27 Mar 2026, 22:29 UTC

Last modified by the source

8 Jul 2026, 08:27 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:47 UTC

1. Revision 4 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8

2. Revision 3 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

3. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8

4. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-35625

Advisory: OpenClaw: Silent privilege escalation via gateway shared-auth reconnect
IDs: CVE-2026-35625, GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-fqw4-mph7-2vr8 (revision 4, 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 response not established. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.3.24

## 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
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## 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-fqw4-mph7-2vr8 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.3.24)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8 (OSV record GHSA-fqw4-mph7-2vr8 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.3.24)

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