Openclaw cli: OpenClaw has exec allowlist/safeBins policy-runtime mismatch via env -S wrapper interpretation
Description
OpenClaw CLI versions up to 2026.2.22-2 have a vulnerability where the exec allowlist and safe-bins policy evaluation can diverge from actual runtime execution due to how GNU env -S wrapper commands are interpreted. This mismatch allows an attacker who can influence command text to bypass allowlist restrictions and execute unintended commands. The issue is fixed in version 2026.2.23 by enforcing stricter execution planning and policy checks.
CVSS v4.0
Affected software
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability in OpenClaw CLI arises from a mismatch between policy evaluation and runtime execution for commands wrapped using GNU env -S semantics. The allowlist and safe-bins checks analyze an effective executable derived from unwrapped argv, but runtime execution can still interpret the original wrapper argv, allowing bypass of intended restrictions. Additionally, safe-bin short-flag handling permitted unknown short options in clusters, further weakening policy enforcement. The fix in version 2026.2.23 introduces wrapper execution planning to ensure analysis and runtime execution semantics align, rejects unknown short safe-bin flags, and enforces allowlist checks against the planned argv, preventing bypass.
Potential Impact
An attacker able to influence the command text passed to OpenClaw's exec-capable flows can bypass the allowlist and safe-bins policy, potentially executing arbitrary commands that were intended to be blocked. This could lead to execution of unexpected payloads despite policy restrictions.
Mitigation Recommendations
A patch is available in OpenClaw CLI version 2026.2.23 that addresses this vulnerability by enforcing parity between policy evaluation and runtime execution semantics. Users should upgrade to version 2026.2.23 or later to remediate this issue. No additional mitigation is required beyond applying this official fix.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- BREW-openclaw-cli-GHSA-796m-2973-wc5q
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.7.3
- Ecosystems
- ["Homebrew"]
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
Threat ID: 6ac2458812601ec6a31640a2
Added to database: 10/04/2026, 12:24:40 UTC
Last enriched: 10/04/2026, 12:33:07 UTC
Last updated: 10/04/2026, 12:33:07 UTC
Views: 1
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