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OpenclawApplication

CVE-2026-32979

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains an approval integrity vulnerability allowing attackers to execute rewritten local code by modifying scripts between approval and execution when exact file binding cannot occur. Remote attackers can change approved local scripts before execution to achieve unintended code execution as the OpenClaw runtime user.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

OpenClaw before version 2026.3.11 has an approval integrity vulnerability where approved scripts can be modified by remote attackers between the approval phase and execution. This time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) style flaw allows execution of rewritten local code as the OpenClaw runtime user when exact file binding cannot occur.

MitigationImplement cryptographic file binding (hashes/checksums) at approval time and verify integrity immediately before execution to prevent script modification between approval and execution.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OpenclawApplication
Affected:< 2026.3.11

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check OpenClaw installed version
    Run 'openclaw --version' or check the package metadata file (e.g., setup.py, package.json, or the binary's version info) to determine the exact version number
    Affected if The installed version is any release before 2026.3.11 (e.g., 2026.3.10, 2026.2.0, etc.)
  2. Verify script approval feature is in use
    Inspect the OpenClaw configuration file (typically openclaw.conf or config.json in the installation or data directory) for settings related to script approval, whitelisting, or approval workflows
    Affected if Script approval or script whitelisting is enabled and configured in the environment
  3. Locate approved scripts
    Check the designated approval database, whitelist file, or approved scripts directory as defined in the OpenClaw configuration (often under paths like /approved_scripts, /whitelist, or similar)
    Affected if Any scripts exist in the approved/whitelist directory and the approval system is active
  4. Check for file integrity verification
    Examine the approval records, database entries, or configuration to determine if cryptographic hashes, checksums, or file binding mechanisms are stored alongside approved script entries
    Affected if Approved script records do NOT contain cryptographic integrity values (hashes/checksums) or there is no verification step before execution
  5. Inspect approved script files for external modification
    Compare the current file hash of each approved script (using SHA-256 or similar) against the stored approval record, if hashes exist; if no hashes stored, note that modification cannot be detected
    Affected if Scripts in the approved list have been modified after their approval timestamp, or no mechanism exists to detect such modifications

You are affected if OpenClaw version is before 2026.3.11 AND the script approval feature is enabled with approved scripts present and no cryptographic integrity verification is implemented.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later
Fixed in 2026.3.11
Interim mitigation

Implement cryptographic file binding (hashes/checksums) at approval time and verify integrity immediately before execution to prevent script modification between approval and execution.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

2026.3.11

  1. Identify all OpenClaw instances currently running version earlier than 2026.3.11
  2. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade
  3. Back up the OpenClaw configuration and any custom scripts or data
  4. Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.3.11 or later using the standard upgrade procedure
  5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version
  6. Test that approved scripts execute correctly post-upgrade
  7. Review any script approval workflows to ensure they align with the fixed version's behavior

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Openclaw Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,960.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-32979 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data