Openclaw cli: OpenClaw exec allowlist safeBins short-option bypass could permit arbitrary file write (CVE-2026-32017)

The OpenClaw CLI's exec allowlist and safeBins policy can be bypassed using short-option payloads (e.g., 'sort -o/tmp/poc'), which circumvent safeBins argument validation. This bypass permits arbitrary file write operations that should have been blocked under the allowlist policy. The vulnerability affects openclaw versions up to and including 2026.2.17 and was fixed in 2026.2.19. The flaw was reported by security researchers and addressed in multiple commits.

An attacker with limited privileges (PR:L) can exploit this vulnerability remotely (AV:N) without user interaction (UI:N) to perform unauthorized file write operations, potentially leading to integrity violations (I:H) and limited availability impact (A:L). Confidentiality is not affected. This could allow modification of files in the system, undermining security controls enforced by the safeBins policy.

A patch is available and should be applied by upgrading openclaw to version 2026.2.19 or later. This update corrects the safeBins argument validation to prevent bypass via short-option payloads. Until patched, users should be aware of the risk when using tools.exec.security=allowlist with safeBins and consider restricting usage or applying additional controls.