CVE-2026-32970
OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Credential Fallback Logic Bypass via Unavailable Local Auth SecretRefs
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Credential Fallback Logic Bypass via Unavailable Local Auth SecretRefs
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
CVE-2026-32970- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-17377
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
EUVD-2026-17377- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7
OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode
Summary
In affected versions of openclaw, local gateway helper credential resolution treated configured but unavailable gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs as if they were unset and could fall back to gateway.remote.* credentials in local mode.
Impact
This could cause local CLI and helper paths to select the wrong credential source instead of failing closed for configured local auth SecretRefs. We did not confirm a server-side gateway-authentication boundary bypass for this issue.
Affected Packages and Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.3.8 - Fixed in:
2026.3.11
Technical Details
The local-mode fallback logic decided whether remote credential fallback was allowed based on resolved credential values rather than on whether the local auth input was actually configured. A configured-but-unavailable local SecretRef therefore looked "absent" to the helper layer.
Fix
OpenClaw now tracks whether the local auth input is configured separately from whether it resolves successfully. In local mode, remote fallback is allowed only when the matching local auth input is truly unset. The fix shipped in [email protected].
Workarounds
Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
- Record
GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7- CVSS 3.1
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vm29-7mq3-9jrg
Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
GHSA-vm29-7mq3-9jrg- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/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
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
CVE-2026-32970- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/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
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 3.3 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Credential Fallback Logic Bypass via Unavailable Local Auth SecretRefs
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
CVE-2026-32970- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7
OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode
Summary
In affected versions of openclaw, local gateway helper credential resolution treated configured but unavailable gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs as if they were unset and could fall back to gateway.remote.* credentials in local mode.
Impact
This could cause local CLI and helper paths to select the wrong credential source instead of failing closed for configured local auth SecretRefs. We did not confirm a server-side gateway-authentication boundary bypass for this issue.
Affected Packages and Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.3.8 - Fixed in:
2026.3.11
Technical Details
The local-mode fallback logic decided whether remote credential fallback was allowed based on resolved credential values rather than on whether the local auth input was actually configured. A configured-but-unavailable local SecretRef therefore looked "absent" to the helper layer.
Fix
OpenClaw now tracks whether the local auth input is configured separately from whether it resolves successfully. In local mode, remote fallback is allowed only when the matching local auth input is truly unset. The fix shipped in [email protected].
Workarounds
Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
- Record
GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7- CVSS 3.1
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-vm29-7mq3-9jrg
Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode
Duplicate Advisory
This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7. This link is maintained to preserve external references.
Original Description
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains a credential fallback vulnerability where unavailable local gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs are treated as unset, allowing fallback to remote credentials in local mode. Attackers can exploit misconfigured local auth references to cause CLI and helper paths to select incorrect credential sources, potentially bypassing intended local authentication boundaries.
- Record
GHSA-vm29-7mq3-9jrg- CVSS 4.0
- 2.0 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/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
- 2.5 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-636
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
openclawnpm |
before 2026.3.11 | 2026.3.11 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-32970 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 2.0) in Openclaw, published March 13, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.11%, the 1st percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.3.11.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-credential-fallback-logic-bypass-via-unavailable-local-auth-secretrefs
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32970