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The vulnerability stems from a stale closure in the `resolvedAuth` state within OpenClaw’s gateway. When the system processes a configuration reload, the `resolvedAuth` closure—which caches the resolved authentication state—is not properly invalidated. Instead of re-resolving authentication credentials from the updated configuration, the gateway continues to use the previously captured closure state. This stale closure retains references to outdated credential resolutions (e.g., tokens, passwords) even after the configuration file has been modified. As a result, newly accepted gateway connections after the reload may rely on this stale authentication state, effectively bypassing the updated auth settings. The issue occurs because the runtime code paths that handle incoming gateway connections read from an active in-memory snapshot that is only swapped on a fully successful reload; a partial or edge-case reload leaves the stale snapshot active. Attackers with the ability to trigger a config reload—or to time their connection attempts during such a reload—could exploit this to gain unauthorized access using old credentials. The flaw impacts all OpenClaw npm package versions up to and including 2026.4.1 and is fixed in version 2026.4.8 and the commit d7c3210cd6f5fdfdc1beff4c9541673e814354d5.
DailyCVE form:
Platform: openclaw (npm)
Version: <= 2026.4.1
Vulnerability: stale resolvedAuth
Severity: medium
Date: 2026-04-09
Prediction: 2026-04-16
What Undercode Say:
Check current OpenClaw version npm list openclaw Upgrade to patched version npm install -g [email protected] Verify resolvedAuth state after config reload openclaw gateway --check-auth Monitor for stale authentication attempts grep "resolvedAuth" /var/log/openclaw/gateway.log | tail -20
Exploit:
- Trigger a configuration reload (e.g., via `gateway.reload` RPC or modifying
openclaw.json). - During the reload, send a new gateway connection request.
- The gateway uses the stale `resolvedAuth` closure, accepting old credentials.
Protection from this CVE:
Upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.4.8 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, avoid triggering config reloads during active gateway connections and restart the gateway service after every configuration change.
Impact:
Attackers can reuse stale authentication tokens to gain unauthorized gateway access, bypassing updated authentication policies. This may lead to privilege escalation or unauthorized control of the AI assistant, especially in environments where config reloads are frequent.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
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