OpenClaw Signature Verification Bypass Vulnerability in Nostr DM Ingress Path

A vulnerability allowing signature verification bypass has been identified in OpenClaw versions 2026.3.22 prior to 2026.3.31. This issue occurs in the Nostr direct message (DM) ingress path, where pairing challenges can be issued before validating event signatures. As a result, an unauthenticated remote attacker could send forged direct messages that create pending pairing entries and trigger pairing-reply attempts. This exploitation consumes shared pairing capacity and generates additional relay and logging work on the Nostr channel.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability allows for the creation of pending pairing requests, which can consume shared pairing resources and disrupt normal Nostr channel operations by generating extra relay and logging tasks.

Reproduction

To reproduce this vulnerability, send a forged direct message to a user on a platform using OpenClaw version 2026.3.22 prior to 2026.3.31. The message will create a pending pairing entry and trigger a pairing-reply attempt before the signature is verified, thereby consuming pairing resources and causing additional work on the Nostr channel.

Remediation

Users can update to OpenClaw version 2026.3.31 or later, where this vulnerability has been patched.