OpenClaw: Skill env override host env injection via applySkillConfigEnvOverrides (defense-in-depth)
### Summary `applySkillConfigEnvOverrides` previously copied `skills.entries.*.env` values into the host `process.env` without applying the host env safety policy. ### Impact In affected versions, dangerous process-level variables such as `NODE_OPTIONS` could be injected when unset, which can influence runtime/child-process behavior. ### Required attacker capability An attacker must be able to modify OpenClaw local state/config (for example `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`) to set `skills.entries.<skill>.env` or related skill config values. ### Remediation Fixed in `2026.2.21` by sanitizing skill env overrides and blocking dangerous host env keys (including `NODE_OPTIONS`) before applying overrides, with regression tests covering blocked dangerous keys. ## Fix Commit(s) - `8c9f35cdb51692b650ddf05b259ccdd75cc9a83c` Found using [MCPwner](https://github.com/Pigyon/MCPwner)
describes (1)
Related CVEs.
| ID | severity | exploitable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-4039US | high8.8 | — | ||
A vulnerability was determined in OpenClaw 2026.2.19-2. This vulnerability affects the function applySkillConfigenvOverrides of the component Skill Env Handler. Executing a manipul… | ||||
references
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclawPACKAGE
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/8c9f35cdb51692b650ddf05b259ccdd75cc9a83cWEB
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.21WEB
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-82g8-464f-2mv7WEB
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4039ADVISORY
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