Summary
OpenClaw has hook auth rate limiter bypass via IPv4-mapped IPv6 client key variants
Vulnerability
The hook authentication throttle keyed failed attempts by raw socket remoteAddress text.
IPv4 and IPv4-mapped IPv6 forms of the same client (for example 1.2.3.4 and ::ffff:1.2.3.4) were treated as different clients, allowing separate rate-limit buckets.
Affected Components
src/gateway/server-http.tssrc/gateway/auth-rate-limit.ts
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Vulnerable versions:
<= 2026.2.21-2 - Patched version (planned next release):
2026.2.22
Fix Commit(s)
3284d2eb227e7b6536d543bcf5c3e320bc9d13c5
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.22) so once npm release 2026.2.22 is published, this advisory can be published directly.
OpenClaw thanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.
Impact
An attacker could split failed hook-auth attempts across both address forms and effectively double the brute-force budget from 20 to 40 attempts per 60-second window.
The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap. Typical impact: resource exhaustion leading to denial of service.
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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Centralize and reuse canonical client-IP normalization for auth rate-limiting, and use that canonical key for hook auth throttling.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW? GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW is a medium-severity allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.22. It is fixed in 2026.2.22. The application allocates resources such as memory, threads, or file descriptors based on untrusted input without enforcing a cap.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.22 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW? Yes. GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW is fixed in 2026.2.22. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW 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 GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW 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 GHSA-5847-RM3G-23MW? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.22 or later.