Summary
OpenClaw: Unavailable local auth SecretRefs could fall through to remote credentials in local mode
In affected versions of openclaw, local gateway helper credential resolution treated configured but unavailable gateway.auth.token and gateway.auth.password SecretRefs as if they were unset and could fall back to gateway.remote.* credentials in local mode.
Affected Packages and Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.3.8 - Fixed in:
2026.3.11
Technical Details
The local-mode fallback logic decided whether remote credential fallback was allowed based on resolved credential values rather than on whether the local auth input was actually configured. A configured-but-unavailable local SecretRef therefore looked "absent" to the helper layer.
Workarounds
Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.
Impact
This could cause local CLI and helper paths to select the wrong credential source instead of failing closed for configured local auth SecretRefs. We did not confirm a server-side gateway-authentication boundary bypass for this issue.
CVE-2026-32970 has a CVSS score of 2.5 (Low). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.3.11); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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OpenClaw now tracks whether the local auth input is configured separately from whether it resolves successfully. In local mode, remote fallback is allowed only when the matching local auth input is truly unset. The fix shipped in [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-32970? CVE-2026-32970 is a low-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.3.11. It is fixed in 2026.3.11.
- How severe is CVE-2026-32970? CVE-2026-32970 has a CVSS score of 2.5 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-32970? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.3.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32970? Yes. CVE-2026-32970 is fixed in 2026.3.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-32970 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32970 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-32970 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-32970? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.3.11 or later.