Junglewise Threat Intelligence

OpenClaw authorization bypass in Matrix room control commands

Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-05-06

Technologies: Openclaw. Vendors: Openclaw.

Executive brief

OpenClaw is an automation platform that integrates with the Matrix messaging protocol. A security flaw allowed users who were only authorized to interact with the bot via private direct messages to bypass security restrictions and execute administrative commands in public or group rooms. This could allow an unauthorized user to trigger privileged actions or access sensitive data they should not have permission to reach.

Technical details

An authorization bypass vulnerability exists in OpenClaw's Matrix integration due to incorrect trust boundaries. The room control-command authorizer incorrectly included sender IDs from the Matrix DM pairing store when evaluating permissions for room traffic. An attacker with an established DM pairing can exploit this by posting in a bot-controlled room, allowing them to execute privileged control commands even if they are not on the room's configured allowlist or membership list. The vulnerability is rooted in `access-state.ts` and `handler.ts` within the Matrix extension. It has been patched in version 2026.4.15 by ensuring room command authorizers only use configured sender IDs and group allowlists.

Affected products

  • OpenClaw openclaw > 2026.3.28, < 2026.4.15

Timeline

  • 2026-04-16: advisory: Original vendor advisory published (GHSA-2gvc-4f3c-2855)
  • 2026-04-16: patched: Version 2026.4.15 released with fix
  • 2026-05-06: advisory: NVD/CVE-2026-44110 published
  • 2026-05-11: other: Duplicate GHSA-79rr-5c85-xvw3 withdrawn

References

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