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GHSA-2XCP-X87W-Q377: GHSA-2xcp-x87w-q377: Incorrect Authorization Bypass via Templated Hook Mappings in OpenClaw

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GHSA-2xcp-x87w-q377: Incorrect Authorization Bypass via Templated Hook Mappings in OpenClaw

Vulnerability ID: GHSA-2XCP-X87W-Q377
CVSS Score: 5.3
Published: 2026-04-25

The OpenClaw personal AI assistant framework contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability within its webhook routing logic. An architectural flaw in the processing of hook mapping templates allows external webhook payloads to resolve to arbitrary session keys. This effectively bypasses the framework's 'allowRequestSessionKey' security gate, enabling unauthorized users to hijack sessions, inject messages, and access cross-session data.

TL;DR

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.4.20 fail to enforce the session key opt-in security policy when processing templated hook mappings. Attackers can exploit this by sending crafted webhook payloads that resolve to unauthorized session keys, resulting in session hijacking and information disclosure.

⚠️ Exploit Status: POC

Technical Details

  • CWE ID: CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
  • Attack Vector: Network (Unauthenticated)
  • CVSS v3.1 Score: 5.3 (Medium)
  • Impact: Session Hijacking, Information Disclosure
  • Exploit Maturity: Proof of Concept (PoC)
  • Affected Package: openclaw (NPM)

Affected Systems

  • OpenClaw Framework
  • OpenClaw Webhook Gateway
  • openclaw: < 2026.4.20 (Fixed in: 2026.4.20)

Code Analysis

Commit: 5275d00

Fix: Track origin of session keys to prevent mapping templates from bypassing security gates

Exploit Details

  • Official Patch Evidence: The patch commit includes test cases demonstrating that template-derived session keys bypassed the security gate prior to the fix.

Mitigation Strategies

  • Software Update
  • Configuration Hardening
  • Network Segmentation

Remediation Steps:

  1. Upgrade the openclaw NPM package to version 2026.4.20.
  2. Review the application configuration for the presence of templated sessionKey mappings.
  3. If templated mappings are required, explicitly enable 'hooks.allowRequestSessionKey: true'.
  4. Define strict boundaries by configuring 'hooks.allowedSessionKeyPrefixes' with expected values.
  5. Validate the webhook gateway functionality using known good payloads.

References

Read the full report for GHSA-2XCP-X87W-Q377 on our website for more details including interactive diagrams and full exploit analysis.

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