Openclaw cli: OpenClaw safeBins stdin-only bypass via sort output and recursive grep flags (CVE-2026-31996)

The openclaw CLI's tools.exec.safeBins mechanism, designed to restrict command execution to stdin-only safe binaries, can be bypassed if the sort command's output flags (-o/--output) or recursive grep flags (-R) are permitted. This bypass allows attackers with command execution privileges to write to files or recursively read files, violating the intended access controls. The vulnerability affects openclaw versions <= 2026.2.17 and was patched in version >= 2026.2.19. The fix is identified by commit 2c05cbb43e48ebad03626d3125746fb1b9a8520f.

An attacker who already has some level of command execution access in environments using tools.exec.safeBins can escalate their capabilities by bypassing stdin-only restrictions to write files or read directories recursively. This could lead to unauthorized file modifications or data disclosure. The CVSS score is 3.6 (low severity), reflecting limited impact and high attack complexity.

Upgrade openclaw to version 2026.2.19 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. Until then, avoid enabling tools.exec.safeBins with configurations that allow sort output flags or recursive grep flags. No other mitigations are specified.