GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23 OpenClaw: Unauthorized Telegram Senders Trigger Media Download and Disk Write Before Access Check
Unauthorized Telegram senders can trigger media downloads and disk writes before authorization checks, potentially causing resource exhaustion or unauthorized data storage.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23?
GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23 is a missing authorization vulnerability in openclaw, published on 3 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Impact
In Telegram DM mode, inbound media was downloaded and written to disk before sender authorization checks completed. An unauthorized sender could trigger inbound media download/write activity (including media groups) even when DM access should be denied.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Latest published version currently affected:
2026.2.23 - Vulnerable range:
<= 2026.2.23 - Patched in planned next release:
2026.2.24
Fix Commit(s)
9514201fb9b51de5d0b23151110d0ff5d9c8bd67
Technical Details
The Telegram handler flow now enforces DM authorization before media download/write paths execute, including media-group handling. Inbound channel activity tracking was also moved to run after DM authorization in the Telegram message context path.
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.24). After npm publish, the advisory can be published without further version-field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @v8hid for reporting.
Publication Update (2026-02-25)
[email protected] is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks >= 2026.2.24 as patched.
Which versions are affected by GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including openclaw.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
openclaw npm | All versions | 2026.2.24 |
openclaw npm | All versions | 2026.2.24 |
How do I fix GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23?
Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.24 or later.
Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.
Is GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of GHSA-h656-5vcf-cm23 in the wild and no public exploit code.