---
title: "CVE-2026-33579: OpenClaw: /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-33579/
description: "CVE-2026-33579 (openclaw (npm)): OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the /pair approve command path that fails to…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-03-31
date_modified: 2026-09-24
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-33579"
kev: false
cvss: 9.4
epss: 0.00512
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-33579: OpenClaw: /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- 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.

## Affected packages

- npm `openclaw` <= 2026.3.24 → fixed: 2026.3.28

## Affected products (CVE record)

- OpenClaw OpenClaw: < 2026.3.28

## Severity

- VulnCheck CVSS 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`
- VulnCheck CVSS 3.1: 9.9 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 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`

## Exploitation

- 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.

## Sources

- [GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497)](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497)
- [Patch Commit](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/e403decb6e20091b5402780a7ccd2085f98aa3cd)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hc5h-pmr3-3497)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-33579](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33579)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-33579](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-33579)
- [VulnCheck Advisory: OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Privilege Escalation via Missing Caller Scope Validation in Device Pair Approval](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-privilege-escalation-via-missing-caller-scope-validation-in-device-pair-approval)
- [github.com](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4ee4960de2330b5322127f925f3687dc6f105be1)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-33579/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt