Executive brief
OpenClaw is a JavaScript library used by Matrix clients to handle threaded conversations. When fetching thread root messages and reply context, the library failed to properly enforce sender allowlists, allowing unauthorized messages to be retrieved and displayed. This could enable users to see messages from senders they previously blocked or that are otherwise restricted by access controls.
Technical details
The vulnerability exists in OpenClaw versions up to 2026.3.28, where fetched thread-root and reply context messages bypass sender allowlist validation checks. The root cause is insufficient filtering of context messages against the configured sender allowlist policy. The issue affects the network-accessible library when processing Matrix message threads; no authentication bypass is required to trigger the condition if an application does not enforce additional checks. An attacker can craft requests to retrieve thread context that circumvents the sender allowlist, exposing messages that should be filtered. The fix was committed on 2026-03-31 and released in version 2026.3.31 with proper filtering logic.
Affected products
- OpenClaw openclaw <=2026.3.28
Timeline
- 2026-04-02: disclosed: Advisory published
- 2026-03-31: patched: Fix committed in v2026.3.31
- 2026-04-28: other: CVE-2026-41376 published to NVD