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The vulnerability arises from a missing `operator.admin` authorization gate on mutating internal ACP (Administrative Control Plane) chat commands within OpenClaw. In affected versions, the code that handles chat‑based commands for the internal ACP allowed certain mutating operations—such as modifying configuration, restarting services, or altering user roles—to be executed without verifying that the invoking user possessed administrative privileges. The intended logic separates read‑only commands (which are safe) from mutating ones (which should require admin scope), but a flaw in the command routing mechanism omitted the necessary scope enforcement. Specifically, when the internal ACP processed a chat message containing a mutating command, it failed to call the `operator.admin` validation function that normally gates such actions. This allowed any authenticated user, even those with only read‑only roles, to invoke mutating control‑plane actions through the chat interface. The issue was introduced in a refactor of the command dispatcher and persisted across multiple releases until a fix was merged. The fix restores the admin‑gate check by ensuring every mutating command passes through the `operator.admin` validator before execution, effectively restoring the intended privilege separation.
Platform: OpenClaw (npm)
Version: v2026.3.23-2
Vulnerability: Missing admin gate
Severity: High
Date: Mar 24, 2026
Prediction: Patch already shipped
Analytics under What Undercode Say:
Check if a chat command is routed without admin validation
grep -r "operator.admin" internal/acp/chat_commands.go
Simulate a mutating command attempt (example)
curl -X POST http://openclaw:8080/api/chat \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $READONLY_TOKEN" \
-d '{"command":"config:set","args":{"key":"auth.mode","value":"none"}}'
Verify fix commit presence
git log --oneline | grep 229426a257e49694a59fa4e3895861d02a4d767f
Exploit:
An attacker with a valid but non‑admin user session can send a specially crafted chat message to the internal ACP channel that invokes a mutating command (e.g., acp:restart, acp:config:set). Due to the missing `operator.admin` check, the command executes with full administrative privileges, allowing privilege escalation, configuration tampering, or service disruption.
Protection from this CVE:
Update to a patched version (v2026.3.22 or later) where the fix is included. If immediate update is not possible, restrict access to the internal ACP chat interface to trusted users only and monitor logs for unexpected mutating commands. Ensure that the `operator.admin` validation is manually enforced in any custom command handlers.
Impact:
Unauthorized privilege escalation allows any authenticated user to perform administrative actions, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or denial of service. The vulnerability effectively bypasses the role‑based access control model for the control plane.
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
Extra Source Hub:
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