CVE-2026-32916
OpenClaw 2026.3.7 < 2026.3.11 - Authorization Bypass in Plugin Subagent Routes via Synthetic Admin Scopes
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.7 before 2026.3.11 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability where plugin subagent routes execute gateway methods through a synthetic operator client with broad administrative scopes. Remote unauthenticated requests to plugin-owned routes can invoke runtime.subagent methods to perform privileged gateway actions including session deletion and agent execution.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
OpenClaw 2026.3.7 < 2026.3.11 - Authorization Bypass in Plugin Subagent Routes via Synthetic Admin Scopes
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.7 before 2026.3.11 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability where plugin subagent routes execute gateway methods through a synthetic operator client with broad administrative scopes. Remote unauthenticated requests to plugin-owned routes can invoke runtime.subagent methods to perform privileged gateway actions including session deletion and agent execution.
- Record
CVE-2026-32916- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 9.4 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-266
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-17369
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.7 before 2026.3.11 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability where plugin subagent routes execute gateway methods through a synthetic operator client with broad administrative scopes. Remote unauthenticated requests to plugin-owned routes can invoke runtime.subagent methods to perform privileged gateway actions including session deletion and agent execution.
- Record
EUVD-2026-17369- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xw77-45gv-p728
OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes
Summary
In affected versions of openclaw, the plugin subagent runtime dispatched gateway methods through a synthetic operator client that always carried broad administrative scopes. Plugin-owned HTTP routes using auth: "plugin" could therefore trigger admin-only gateway actions without normal gateway authorization.
Impact
This is a critical authorization bypass. An external unauthenticated request to a plugin-owned route could reach privileged subagent runtime methods and perform admin-only gateway actions such as deleting sessions, reading session data, or triggering agent execution.
Affected Packages and Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
>= 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11 - Fixed in:
2026.3.11
Technical Details
The new plugin subagent runtime preserved neither the original caller's auth context nor least-privilege scope. Instead, it executed gateway dispatches through a fabricated operator client with administrative scopes, which was reachable from plugin-owned routes that intentionally bypass normal gateway auth so plugins can perform their own webhook verification.
Fix
OpenClaw now preserves real authorization boundaries for plugin subagent calls instead of dispatching them through synthetic admin scopes. The fix shipped in [email protected].
Workarounds
Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
- Record
GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728- CVSS 3.1
- 9.4 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-285
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.7 before 2026.3.11 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability where plugin subagent routes execute gateway methods through a synthetic operator client with broad administrative scopes. Remote unauthenticated requests to plugin-owned routes can invoke runtime.subagent methods to perform privileged gateway actions including session deletion and agent execution.
- Record
CVE-2026-32916- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/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
- 9.4 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-266
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
OpenClaw 2026.3.7 < 2026.3.11 - Authorization Bypass in Plugin Subagent Routes via Synthetic Admin Scopes
OpenClaw versions 2026.3.7 before 2026.3.11 contain an authorization bypass vulnerability where plugin subagent routes execute gateway methods through a synthetic operator client with broad administrative scopes. Remote unauthenticated requests to plugin-owned routes can invoke runtime.subagent methods to perform privileged gateway actions including session deletion and agent execution.
- Record
CVE-2026-32916- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-266
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-xw77-45gv-p728
OpenClaw: Plugin subagent routes could bypass gateway authorization with synthetic admin scopes
Summary
In affected versions of openclaw, the plugin subagent runtime dispatched gateway methods through a synthetic operator client that always carried broad administrative scopes. Plugin-owned HTTP routes using auth: "plugin" could therefore trigger admin-only gateway actions without normal gateway authorization.
Impact
This is a critical authorization bypass. An external unauthenticated request to a plugin-owned route could reach privileged subagent runtime methods and perform admin-only gateway actions such as deleting sessions, reading session data, or triggering agent execution.
Affected Packages and Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
>= 2026.3.7, < 2026.3.11 - Fixed in:
2026.3.11
Technical Details
The new plugin subagent runtime preserved neither the original caller's auth context nor least-privilege scope. Instead, it executed gateway dispatches through a fabricated operator client with administrative scopes, which was reachable from plugin-owned routes that intentionally bypass normal gateway auth so plugins can perform their own webhook verification.
Fix
OpenClaw now preserves real authorization boundaries for plugin subagent calls instead of dispatching them through synthetic admin scopes. The fix shipped in [email protected].
Workarounds
Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
- Record
GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728- CVSS 3.1
- 9.4 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-285
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
openclawnpm |
2026.3.7 up to 2026.3.11 | 2026.3.11 |
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-2026-32916 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.2) in Openclaw, published March 13, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.48%, the 41st percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.3.11.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xw77-45gv-p728
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authorization-bypass-in-plugin-subagent-routes-via-synthetic-admin-scopes
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32916