OpenClaw before version 2026.3.31 contains a privilege‑escalation flaw that allows a mapped node with role=node to dispatch node.event agent requests to the gate‑side tool without restriction. An attacker who holds valid paired‑node credentials can exploit this to invoke arbitrary agent.request calls, resulting in remote code execution on the gateway node. The issue is catalogued as a boundary bypass (CWE-862) and provides complete control over the gateway once the attacker accounts for the node’s credentials.

Systems running OpenClaw earlier than 2026.3.31 that assign the role "node" to paired nodes and permit unrestricted node.event agent communication are affected. Any deployment that utilizes these configurations without a mitigating policy is vulnerable. Versions 2026.3.31 and newer include the fix and are not impacted.

The CVSS score of 7.7 places the vulnerability in the High range, indicating that exploitation carries significant potential for damage. EPSS data is unavailable, so the probability of exploitation cannot be quantified. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting no confirmed active exploitation at this time. The description states that exploitation requires access to trusted paired‑node credentials; the likely attack vector is an actor with legitimate node credentials, though the report does not provide further details on how such credentials might be compromised.