GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8
Fix: openclaw/openclaw@356d61aGHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 is a CWE-290 vulnerability in openclaw. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
OpenClaw's gateway tokenless Tailscale auth applied to HTTP routes
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, a proxy for how much of the ecosystem is exposed.
openclawnpmDescription
Summary
When tokenless Tailscale auth is enabled, OpenClaw should only allow forwarded-header auth for Control UI websocket authentication on trusted hosts. In affected versions, that tokenless path could also be used by HTTP gateway auth call sites, which could bypass token/password requirements for HTTP routes in trusted-network deployments.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected range:
<= 2026.2.19-2(latest published npm version as of February 21, 2026) - Patched in: planned
2026.2.21release
Impact
Deployments relying on token/password for HTTP gateway routes could be downgraded to tokenless behavior when Tailscale header auth is enabled. This weakens expected HTTP route authentication boundaries even in trusted-host network setups.
Per SECURITY.md, this does not affect the recommended setup: keep the Gateway loopback-only (or otherwise within a trusted host/network boundary), use Tailscale serve/funnel for remote access, and keep tokenless Tailscale auth scoped to Control UI websocket login.
Fix
- Added an explicit auth-surface gate (
allowTailscaleHeaderAuth, defaultfalse) in gateway auth. - Enabled tokenless Tailscale header auth only for Control UI websocket authentication.
- Kept HTTP gateway auth call sites on token/password auth paths.
- Added regression coverage for HTTP-vs-websocket behavior and Tailscale header handling.
Fix Commit(s)
356d61aacfa5b0f1d5830716ec59d70682a3e7b8
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.21) so once npm release is published, this advisory can be published directly without further field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @zpbrent for reporting.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.2.21 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update openclaw to 2026.2.21 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-hff7-ccv5-52f8 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.