GHSA-4jpw-hj22-2xmc: OpenClaw: Pairing-scoped device tokens could mint `operator.admin` and reach node RCE

Severity: Critical

CVSS Score: 10

## Summary In affected versions of `openclaw`, a caller holding only `operator.pairing` could use `device.token.rotate` to mint a new token with broader scopes for an already paired device. If the target device was approved for `operator.admin`, the attacker could obtain an administrative token without already holding administrative scope. ## Impact This is a critical authorization flaw. On deployments with connected node hosts or companion apps that expose `system.run`, the escalated token could then modify node execution approvals and reach real remote code execution on the node. Even without nodes, the flaw still granted unauthorized gateway-admin access. ## Affected Packages and Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.3.8` - Fixed in: `2026.3.11` ## Technical Details `device.token.rotate` accepted caller-supplied target scopes and validated them against the target device's approved scopes, but it did not constrain the newly minted scopes to the caller's own current scope set. That allowed a pairing-scoped caller to mint a broader token for an already paired administrative device. ## Fix OpenClaw now enforces caller-scope subsetting in `device.token.rotate`, preventing callers from minting device tokens broader than the scopes they already hold. The fix shipped in `openclaw@2026.3.11`. ## Workarounds Upgrade to `2026.3.11` or later.