## Summary OpenClaw webhooks allowed route secrets to be backed by `SecretRef` values, but cached the resolved secret for a route. After an operator rotated the underlying secret and ran `openclaw secrets reload`, the previous resolved webhook secret could remain valid until the plugin or gateway...
Full CISO analysis pending enrichment.
Affected Systems
| Package | Ecosystem | Vulnerable Range | Patched |
|---|---|---|---|
| openclaw | npm | < 2026.4.23 | 2026.4.23 |
Do you use openclaw? You're affected.
Severity & Risk
Attack Surface
Recommended Action
Patch available
Update openclaw to version 2026.4.23
Compliance Impact
Compliance analysis pending. Sign in for full compliance mapping when available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9?
OpenClaw's Webhooks SecretRef route secret remains valid after rotation/reload
Is GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9 actively exploited?
No confirmed active exploitation of GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9 has been reported, but organizations should still patch proactively.
How to fix GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9?
Update to patched version: openclaw 2026.4.23.
What is the CVSS score for GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9?
GHSA-q8ff-7ffm-m3r9 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.0 (MEDIUM).
Technical Details
NVD Description
## Summary OpenClaw webhooks allowed route secrets to be backed by `SecretRef` values, but cached the resolved secret for a route. After an operator rotated the underlying secret and ran `openclaw secrets reload`, the previous resolved webhook secret could remain valid until the plugin or gateway restarted. ## Impact An attacker who already had a previously valid webhook route secret could continue authenticating webhook requests after the operator rotated the secret and reloaded secrets. This weakened credential rotation for webhook routes and could allow continued invocation of the configured webhook task flow until restart. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` on npm - Affected: versions before `2026.4.23` - Fixed: `2026.4.23` - Latest stable verified fixed: `openclaw@2026.4.23`, tag `v2026.4.23` ## Fix Webhook route authentication now resolves `SecretRef`-backed route secrets on each request. A rotated secret becomes effective after `openclaw secrets reload` without requiring a gateway or plugin restart, and the old secret is rejected. ## Fix Commit(s) - `36c4a372a0ad5dca8bfc0d93f7aab9c2f2de66fa` (`fix(webhooks): reload route secrets per request`) ## Severity Severity remains `medium`. The attack requires possession of a previously valid route secret, but the stale credential can continue to authorize webhook actions after rotation.
Weaknesses (CWE)
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L References
Timeline
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