CVE-2026-32045
OpenClaw < 2026.2.21 - Authentication Bypass in HTTP Gateway Routes via Tokenless Tailscale Auth
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 incorrectly apply tokenless Tailscale header authentication to HTTP gateway routes, allowing bypass of token and password requirements. Attackers on trusted networks can exploit this misconfiguration to access HTTP gateway routes without proper authentication credentials.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.2
OpenClaw < 2026.2.21 - Authentication Bypass in HTTP Gateway Routes via Tokenless Tailscale Auth
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 incorrectly apply tokenless Tailscale header authentication to HTTP gateway routes, allowing bypass of token and password requirements. Attackers on trusted networks can exploit this misconfiguration to access HTTP gateway routes without proper authentication credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-32045- CVSS 4.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-13939
8.2
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 incorrectly apply tokenless Tailscale header authentication to HTTP gateway routes, allowing bypass of token and password requirements. Attackers on trusted networks can exploit this misconfiguration to access HTTP gateway routes without proper authentication credentials.
- Record
EUVD-2026-13939- CVSS 4.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8
6.9
OpenClaw's gateway tokenless Tailscale auth applied to HTTP routes
Summary
When tokenless Tailscale auth is enabled, OpenClaw should only allow forwarded-header auth for Control UI websocket authentication on trusted hosts. In affected versions, that tokenless path could also be used by HTTP gateway auth call sites, which could bypass token/password requirements for HTTP routes in trusted-network deployments.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected range:
<= 2026.2.19-2(latest published npm version as of February 21, 2026) - Patched in: planned
2026.2.21release
Impact
Deployments relying on token/password for HTTP gateway routes could be downgraded to tokenless behavior when Tailscale header auth is enabled. This weakens expected HTTP route authentication boundaries even in trusted-host network setups.
Per SECURITY.md, this does not affect the recommended setup: keep the Gateway loopback-only (or otherwise within a trusted host/network boundary), use Tailscale serve/funnel for remote access, and keep tokenless Tailscale auth scoped to Control UI websocket login.
Fix
- Added an explicit auth-surface gate (
allowTailscaleHeaderAuth, defaultfalse) in gateway auth. - Enabled tokenless Tailscale header auth only for Control UI websocket authentication.
- Kept HTTP gateway auth call sites on token/password auth paths.
- Added regression coverage for HTTP-vs-websocket behavior and Tailscale header handling.
Fix Commit(s)
356d61aacfa5b0f1d5830716ec59d70682a3e7b8
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.21) so once npm release is published, this advisory can be published directly without further field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @zpbrent for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8- CVSS 4.0
- 6.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.2
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 incorrectly apply tokenless Tailscale header authentication to HTTP gateway routes, allowing bypass of token and password requirements. Attackers on trusted networks can exploit this misconfiguration to access HTTP gateway routes without proper authentication credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-32045- CVSS 4.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.2
OpenClaw < 2026.2.21 - Authentication Bypass in HTTP Gateway Routes via Tokenless Tailscale Auth
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 incorrectly apply tokenless Tailscale header authentication to HTTP gateway routes, allowing bypass of token and password requirements. Attackers on trusted networks can exploit this misconfiguration to access HTTP gateway routes without proper authentication credentials.
- Record
CVE-2026-32045- CVSS 4.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8
6.9
OpenClaw's gateway tokenless Tailscale auth applied to HTTP routes
Summary
When tokenless Tailscale auth is enabled, OpenClaw should only allow forwarded-header auth for Control UI websocket authentication on trusted hosts. In affected versions, that tokenless path could also be used by HTTP gateway auth call sites, which could bypass token/password requirements for HTTP routes in trusted-network deployments.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected range:
<= 2026.2.19-2(latest published npm version as of February 21, 2026) - Patched in: planned
2026.2.21release
Impact
Deployments relying on token/password for HTTP gateway routes could be downgraded to tokenless behavior when Tailscale header auth is enabled. This weakens expected HTTP route authentication boundaries even in trusted-host network setups.
Per SECURITY.md, this does not affect the recommended setup: keep the Gateway loopback-only (or otherwise within a trusted host/network boundary), use Tailscale serve/funnel for remote access, and keep tokenless Tailscale auth scoped to Control UI websocket login.
Fix
- Added an explicit auth-surface gate (
allowTailscaleHeaderAuth, defaultfalse) in gateway auth. - Enabled tokenless Tailscale header auth only for Control UI websocket authentication.
- Kept HTTP gateway auth call sites on token/password auth paths.
- Added regression coverage for HTTP-vs-websocket behavior and Tailscale header handling.
Fix Commit(s)
356d61aacfa5b0f1d5830716ec59d70682a3e7b8
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.21) so once npm release is published, this advisory can be published directly without further field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @zpbrent for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8- CVSS 4.0
- 6.9 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-290
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
openclawnpm |
before 2026.2.21 | 2026.2.21 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-32045 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.2) in Openclaw, published March 3, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.42%, the 36th percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.2.21.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/356d61aacfa5b0f1d5830716ec59d70682a3e7b8
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authentication-bypass-in-http-gateway-routes-via-tokenless-tailscale-auth
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32045
github.com/advisories/GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/32xxx/CVE-2026-32045.json
github.com/openclaw/openclaw