OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 have an authorization bypass flaw where identity collisions can be used to forge elevated tool permissions. The vulnerability stems from untyped sender keys being matched against mutable identity fields such as senderName or senderUsername in the toolsBySender group policy. The flaw corresponds to a misuse of permission checks (CWE‑639) and can allow an attacker to inherit privileged tool access without proper authorization.

The affected product is OpenClaw:OpenClaw. All releases before 2026.2.22 are vulnerable. The impacted component is a Node.js application identified by the CPE cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*, and the issue specifically affects the toolsBySender policy matching logic.

The CVSS score is 6.0, indicating medium severity. EPSS data is unavailable and the vulnerability is not listed in the KEV catalog. The attack vector implied by the description is remote, as an attacker would need to send crafted requests to the OpenClaw service. If exploited, the attacker would gain unauthorized access to privileged tools, potentially executing functions intended only for trusted senders. Overall risk is moderate, with realistic exploitation likelihood in environments where the vulnerable service is exposed to untrusted senders.