GHSA-v865-p3gq-hw6m CVE-2026-32004
OpenClaw has encoded-path auth bypass in plugin `/api/channels` route classification
- Severity
- 0.0 / 10
- High · CVSS 4.0
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.31%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 23.77% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-288 Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
- Fix
2026.3.2- Upgrade openclaw to this version or later
Description
Summary (Updated March 2, 2026)
Encoded alternate-path requests could bypass plugin route auth checks for /api/channels/* due to canonicalization depth mismatch in vulnerable builds.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Latest published vulnerable version:
2026.3.1 - Affected range:
<= 2026.3.1 - Patched release:
2026.3.2(patched_versions: >= 2026.3.2)
Technical Details
In affected versions, plugin auth-path classification and route-path canonicalization could diverge for deeply encoded slash variants (for example multi-encoded %2f). That mismatch allowed alternate encoded paths to evade protected-prefix auth checks while still resolving to /api/channels/... in plugin route handling.
The fix set hardens this class of issue by:
- canonicalizing route paths to a bounded fixpoint,
- failing closed on malformed or unresolved canonicalization depth,
- requiring explicit plugin-route auth contracts (no implicit auth default),
- enforcing route ownership/conflict guards for duplicate route registrations, and
- using shared webhook route lifecycle registration to avoid stale/conflicting route surfaces.
Affected Deployments
Deployments exposing plugin HTTP routes and relying on gateway auth for /api/channels/* protection.
Fix Commit(s)
93b07240257919f770d1e263e1f22753937b80ea2fd8264ab03bd178e62a5f0c50d1c8556c17f12dd74bc257d8432f17e50b23ae713d7e0623a1fe0f7a7eee920a176a0043398c6b37bf4cc6eb983eeb
Affected versions
npm
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| openclaw | < 2026.3.2 |
2026.3.2 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
openclaw npm → 2026.3.2
- npm
npm install openclaw@2026.3.2- yarn
yarn add openclaw@2026.3.2- pnpm
pnpm add openclaw@2026.3.2
Severity breakdown
CVSS 4.0 0.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- None
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- Low
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- High
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- None
- Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
- None
- Integrity (subsequent systems)
- None
- Availability (subsequent systems)
- None
CVSS 3.1 6.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Weakness
CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.
How to prevent it
- Architecture and Design: Funnel all access through a single choke point to simplify how users can access a resource. For every access, perform a check to determine if the user has permissions to access the resource.
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-v865-p3gq-hw6m
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/2fd8264ab03bd178e62a5f0c50d1c8556c17f12d
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/7a7eee920a176a0043398c6b37bf4cc6eb983eeb
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/93b07240257919f770d1e263e1f22753937b80ea
- github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d74bc257d8432f17e50b23ae713d7e0623a1fe0f
- vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authentication-bypass-via-encoded-path-in-api-ch…
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-3x84-qq85-fj65 OpenClaw: Browser CDP discovery could accept blocked WebSocket URLs | High | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-9c3v-684m-579c OpenClaw MCP SSE redirects could forward Authorization headers | Medium | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-f397-5vjw-v2c2 OpenClaw: Shell inline-command parsing could miss an allowlist check | High | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-rx78-29qr-5hq8 OpenClaw: Workspace-derived service PATH could influence trash command selection | High | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-ccwh-wwpp-6wg5 OpenClaw: Host environment sanitizer missed two Node.js control variables | High | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-985f-72mj-8gf7 OpenClaw: Tool group policy callers could accept unvalidated group IDs | Medium | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-9v8j-9c9g-w66c OpenClaw: Bootstrap token replay could widen pending pairing scopes | Medium | Also affects openclaw |
| GHSA-c226-q6fx-6j6c OpenClaw: macOS Swift exec allowlist missed combined POSIX inline flags | Medium | Also affects openclaw |
MergeHarbor checks every repository's dependencies against this database, ranks what matters by exploitability and reachability, routes it to the owning team and opens the fix pull request.
Check your repos with MergeHarbor