GitHub Advisoryadvisory · npm

GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc OpenClaw: Pairing-scoped device tokens could mint `operator.admin` and reach node RCE

CRITICAL Published 2026-03-13 Modified 2026-03-13 Official page ↗
Ecosystem
npm
Packages
openclaw
Severity
Critical
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weaknesses
CWE-269
Reviewed
2026-03-13

Affected packages

• npm openclaw: < 2026.3.11 → fixed in 2026.3.11

Description

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 allowed a pairing-scoped caller to mint a broader token for an already paired administrative device. Fix OpenClaw now enforces caller-scope subsetting in `device.token.rotate`, preventing callers from minting device tokens broader than the scopes they already hold. The fix shipped in `[email protected]`. Workarounds Upgrade to `2026.3.11` or later.

Related

Weakness · CWE (1)

  • CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management weakness

References