OpenClaw: Matrix room control-command authorization no longer trusts DM pairing-store entries

Description

Summary

Matrix room control-command authorization used the effective allowlist for room traffic, which included sender IDs learned from the Matrix DM pairing store. A sender who was allowed only for a Matrix DM could therefore authorize room control commands when they also posted in a bot room.

Impact

This bypass let a DM-paired Matrix sender cross the DM/room authorization boundary and run Matrix room control commands without being present in the configured room allowlist, room membership list, or group allowlist. The issue required a sender already present in the pairing store and able to send to the target Matrix room. Severity remains high because room control commands can drive privileged OpenClaw behavior depending on the deployment's command and tool policy.

Affected versions

  • Affected: > 2026.3.28, < 2026.4.15
  • Patched: 2026.4.15

Fix

OpenClaw 2026.4.15 fixes the authorization boundary. Room control-command authorizers now use only configured sender IDs, effective room users, and group allowlists; DM pairing-store entries no longer authorize room commands. A follow-up change also skips DM pairing-store reads on room traffic.

Verified in v2026.4.15:

  • extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/access-state.ts builds room command authorizers from commandAllowFrom, which excludes pairing-store sender IDs for room traffic.
  • extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/handler.ts gates room control commands through those authorizers.
  • extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/access-state.test.ts covers a DM pairing-store sender and verifies it cannot authorize room control commands.

Fix commits included in v2026.4.15 and absent from v2026.4.14:

  • f8705f512b09043df02b5da372c33374734bd921 via PR #67294
  • 2bfd808a83116bd888e3e2633a61473fa2ed81b6 via PR #67325

Thanks to @nexrin and Keen Security Lab for reporting this issue.

Basic information

Type
reviewed
Severity
high
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Open repository advisory ↗
Source code
Browse source ↗
Published (advisory)
2026-04-17 22:32:29 UTC
Updated
2026-05-12 13:35:52 UTC
GitHub reviewed
2026-04-17 22:32:29 UTC

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.05% 15.52%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
8.8 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
7.7 4.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and stable.
Attack requirements (AT:P)
Additional preconditions must be present for exploitation.
Privileges required (PR:L)
Low privileges are required.
User interaction (UI:N)
No user interaction is required.
Vulnerable system confidentiality impact (VC:H)
High confidentiality impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system integrity impact (VI:H)
High integrity impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system availability impact (VA:H)
High availability impact on the vulnerable system.
Subsequent system confidentiality impact (SC:N)
No confidentiality impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system integrity impact (SI:N)
No integrity impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system availability impact (SA:N)
No availability impact on subsequent systems.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-863 Incorrect Authorization

Credits

  • nexrin (reporter)
  • KeenSecurityLab (sponsor)
  • qclawer (sponsor)

Affected packages (1)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range First patched Vulnerable functions
npm openclaw > 2026.3.28, < 2026.4.15 2026.4.15

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence