CVE-2026-35653: OpenClaw incorrect authorization in POST /reset-profile

Executive brief

OpenClaw is an AI assistant platform. A vulnerability exists where users with limited 'write' permissions can bypass security restrictions to reset persistent browser profiles. This can lead to the loss of browser data, termination of active browser sessions, and disruption of automated tasks.

Technical details

The vulnerability is an incorrect authorization (CWE-863) issue in the 'browser.request' Gateway method. While OpenClaw attempts to block persistent profile mutations (like creation and deletion) for non-admin users, the 'POST /reset-profile' route was omitted from the 'isPersistentBrowserProfileMutation' classifier. An authenticated attacker with 'operator.write' access can send a crafted request to this endpoint to stop running browser instances, close Playwright connections, and move the local 'userDataDir' to the Trash. This is a residual issue following an incomplete fix in a previous security advisory. The issue is patched in version 2026.3.24.

Affected products

• openclaw openclaw < 2026.3.24

Timeline

• 2026-03-27: advisory: GitHub Advisory GHSA-xp9r-prpg-373r published
• 2026-03-24: patched: Fixed in version 2026.3.24

References

• https://api.github.com/users/tdjackey
• https://github.com/tdjackey
• https://api.github.com/users/tdjackey/gists%7B/gist_id%7D
• https://api.github.com/users/tdjackey/repos
• https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/6791132?v=4
• https://api.github.com/users/tdjackey/events%7B/privacy%7D