Summary
An authorization mismatch in the gateway let an authenticated caller with only operator.write use browser.request to reach browser profile management routes that persist configuration to disk. In practice, this exposed an admin-only configuration write primitive through /profiles/create.
Affected versions
openclaw <= 2026.3.8
Impact
A write-scoped operator could create or modify browser profiles and store attacker-chosen remote CDP endpoints without holding operator.admin.
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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.
Remediation advice
Fixed in openclaw 2026.3.11 and included in later releases such as 2026.3.12. Browser profile creation now requires the correct admin boundary, and regression tests cover the write-vs-admin authorization split.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q? GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q is a high-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.3.8. It is fixed in 2026.3.11. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q? GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). 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 GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.3.8 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q? Yes. GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q is fixed in 2026.3.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q 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-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q 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-VMHQ-CQM9-6P7Q? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.3.11 or later.