Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-33579: OpenClaw: /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the /pair approve command path that fails to forward caller scopes into the core approval check.
CVSS 9.4 Critical EPSS 0.5% · p43
Should you act?
Critical, preconditions apply
Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.5%, percentile 43: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 43% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
openclaw(npm) <= 2026.3.24, fixed in 2026.3.28. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the /pair approve command path that fails to forward caller scopes into the core approval check. A caller with pairing privileges but without admin privileges can approve pending device requests asking for broader scopes including admin access by exploiting the missing scope validation in extensions/device-pair/index.ts and src/infra/device-pairing.ts.
From the GitHub advisory
Summary
The /pair approve command path called device approval without forwarding caller scopes into the core approval check.
Impact
A caller that held pairing privileges but not admin privileges could approve a pending device request asking for broader scopes, including admin access.
Affected Component
Weakness type: CWE-863.
Product: openclaw (npm) · Assigned by: VulnCheck · Published: 2026-03-31
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | openclaw | <= 2026.3.24 | 2026.3.28 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw | OpenClaw | < 2026.3.28 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| VulnCheck | 4.0 | 9.4 Critical | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
| VulnCheck | 3.1 | 9.9 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 4.0 | 9.4 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Attack requirements: none
- Privileges required: low (any account)
- User interaction: none
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.51% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 43.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by VulnCheck
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497 published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497) github.com
- Patch Commit github.com
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497 github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-33579 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-33579 nvd.nist.gov