# GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq: OpenClaw's owner-only gateway tool access checks were incomplete in specific authenticated DM flows

> Authenticated non-owners can bypass owner-only restrictions to invoke privileged gateway tools in specific DM flows.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Mar 2026

## What is GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq?

GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq is a missing authorization vulnerability in openclaw, published on 3 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

## Summary

In authenticated non-owner DM sessions, a narrow tool-invocation path could reach broader-than-intended owner-only gateway actions.

## Impact

This requires an authenticated non-owner sender in a DM session and a specific tool invocation path. No unauthenticated access is involved, and this does not provide direct code execution by itself.

## Root Cause

- Some gateway call paths were still using broader default scopes instead of method-level least-privilege scopes.
- Owner-only enforcement depended on tool-name checks and was not consistently metadata-driven across all call paths.

## Affected Packages / Versions

- Package: `openclaw` (npm)
- Affected: `<= 2026.2.17` (latest published npm version as of February 19, 2026)
- Patched: `2026.2.19`

## Remediation

- Refactored gateway method scope mapping to a data-driven table and added guard tests to ensure all exposed core gateway methods stay classified.
- Centralized owner-only enforcement in tool policy wrappers and tool metadata.
- Marked owner-only tools explicitly (`cron`, `gateway`, `whatsapp_login`) and removed duplicated per-tool owner checks.
- Refactored gateway call path internals into smaller helpers while preserving behavior and coverage.

## Fix Commit(s)

- `a40c10d3e24568b1e2947c104484be74bf66b8d2`
- `2777d8ad91ef1e8a7c6f5b4b18f8507be7d02914`
- `3d7ad1cfca4daaa84cd553e843e0e08fa6201349`

OpenClaw thanks @Adam55A-code for reporting.

## Which versions are affected by GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including openclaw.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openclaw` | npm | All versions | 2026.2.19 |
| `openclaw` | npm | All versions | 2026.2.19 |

## How do I fix GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq?

Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.19 or later.

## Is GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq is a missing authorization vulnerability in openclaw, published on 3 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- openclaw (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2026.2.19
- openclaw (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2026.2.19

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/GHSA-2hm8-rqrm-xfjq/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.