Openclaw cli: OpenClaw's shell env fallback trusts unvalidated SHELL path from host environment (CVE-2026-32032)

The OpenClaw CLI shell environment fallback mechanism used the environment variable SHELL without validating that it pointed to a trusted executable. Specifically, it invoked `$SHELL -l -c 'env -0'` which could be manipulated if an attacker controlled the local environment or startup environment, allowing execution of an attacker-controlled shell. The vulnerability requires local environment compromise or injection of an untrusted startup environment and is not remotely exploitable. The patch introduced validation of the SHELL path as an absolute normalized executable, checks against /etc/shells, enforces trusted-prefix fallback checks, and blocks SHELL overrides in the environment variable policy. The fix is planned for release in version 2026.2.22.

An attacker with the ability to influence the local environment or startup environment can cause OpenClaw CLI to execute an attacker-controlled shell, leading to full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise (CVSS 7.8). This is a local privilege escalation or environment injection vulnerability, not remotely exploitable without prior local access or environment control.

A patch is available in OpenClaw CLI version 2026.2.22 that addresses this vulnerability by validating the SHELL environment variable and enforcing trusted shell paths. Users should upgrade to version 2026.2.22 or later to remediate this issue. Until then, avoid running OpenClaw CLI in untrusted or compromised environments where the SHELL environment variable can be manipulated.