CVE-2026-32003
highpriority · track · 29EPSS 0.005 · 46 %ileDEEUUSEPSS · scored 2026-10-27
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain an environment variable injection vulnerability in the system.run function that allows attackers to bypass command allowlist restrictions via SHELLOPTS and PS4 environment variables. An attacker who can invoke system.run with request-scoped environment variables can execute arbitrary shell commands outside the intended allowlisted command body through bash xtrace expansion.
cvss
Technical severity, 0–10. One row per scoring source.
base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode⚠ sources disagree · medium–high · 4.8–7.5
ssvc
A stakeholder decision — act, attend, or track — from exploitation and impact.
weaknesses
The CWE weakness classes this flaw belongs to.
affected products (5)
Products and version ranges known to be affected.
advisories (2)
Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.
- WID-SEC-W-2026-0472OpenClaw: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2026-02-22csaf · cert_bundDE
Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in OpenClaw ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, sich erhöhte Berechtigungen zu verschaffen, Daten zu manipulieren, einen Denial-of-Service-Zustand auszulösen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, vertrauliche Informationen offenzulegen oder andere nicht näher spezifizierte Angriffe durchzuführen.
- GHSA-2fgq-7j6h-9rm4OpenClaw has system.run shell-wrapper env injection via SHELLOPTS/PS4 can bypass allowlist intent (RCE)2026-03-03ghsa · osvUS
### Summary `system.run` allowed `SHELLOPTS` + `PS4` environment injection to trigger command substitution during `bash -lc` xtrace expansion before the allowlisted command body executed. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `<= 2026.2.21-2` (includes latest published npm version at triage time) - Patched (planned next release): `2026.2.22` ### Impact In `allowlist` mode, an attacker who can invoke `system.run` with request-scoped `env` could execute additional shell commands outside the intended allowlisted command body. ### Root Cause Host exec env sanitization blocked startup-file vectors (`BASH_ENV`, `ENV`, etc.) but did not block `SHELLOPTS`/`PS4`. For shell wrappers (`bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc`), request env overrides were passed through and `bash` evaluated `PS4` under `xtrace`, enabling command substitution. ### Fix - Block `SHELLOPTS` and `PS4` in host exec env sanitizers (Node + macOS). - For shell wrappers (`bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc`), reduce request-scoped env overrides to an explicit allowlist (`TERM`, `LANG`, `LC_*`, `COLORTERM`, `NO_COLOR`, `FORCE_COLOR`). - Add regression tests for TS and macOS paths. ### Fix Commit(s) - `e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9a` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.22`). Once npm release `2026.2.22` is published, advisory publication is a final state action only. ### Severity Rationale This advisory is rated **medium** because exploitation requires a caller that can already invoke `system.run` with request-scoped `env`. Under OpenClaw's documented trust model (`SECURITY.md`), authenticated Gateway callers are treated as trusted operators, and adversarial multi-operator / prompt-injection scenarios are out of scope. The bug remains a real allowlist-intent bypass, but it does not cross a separate trust boundary in the documented deployment assumptions. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
also known as (3)
Other names and identifiers for this entity.
sources
Which sources assert this record, and when.
references (10)
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9acnnvd
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releasesPatchcnnvd
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-2fgq-7j6h-9rm4cnnvd
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-remote-code-execution-via-shellopts-ps4-environment-injection-in-system-runcnnvd
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9aenisa_euvd
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-2fgq-7j6h-9rm4enisa_euvd
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-remote-code-execution-via-shellopts-ps4-environment-injection-in-system-runenisa_euvd
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9aPatchnvd
Attackers weaponise vulnerabilities like this against internet-exposed services. See what is exposed on your perimeter with a free passive scan.
Free scan