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OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode

Low severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 12, 2026 in openclaw/openclaw • Updated Apr 7, 2026

Package

npm openclaw (npm)

Affected versions

< 2026.3.11

Patched versions

2026.3.11

Description

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 openclaw@2026.3.11.

Workarounds

Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.

References

@steipete steipete published to openclaw/openclaw Mar 12, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 13, 2026
Reviewed Mar 13, 2026
Last updated Apr 7, 2026

Severity

Low

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(1st percentile)

Weaknesses

Not Failing Securely ('Failing Open')

When the product encounters an error condition or failure, its design requires it to fall back to a state that is less secure than other options that are available, such as selecting the weakest encryption algorithm or using the most permissive access control restrictions. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-32970

GHSA ID

GHSA-qvr7-g57c-mrc7

Source code

Credits

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