Openclaw cli: OpenClaw's tools.exec.safeBins sort long-option abbreviation bypass can skip exec approval in allowlist mode (CVE-2026-28363)
Description
OpenClaw CLI's tools.exec.safeBins validation for the 'sort' command can be bypassed using GNU long-option abbreviations in allowlist mode, allowing execution without required approval. This affects versions up to 2026.2.22-2 and is fixed in version 2026.2.23. The vulnerability arises because long-option handling only matched denied flags by exact string and accepted unknown long options with inline values instead of failing closed.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.8high
Affected software
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
In OpenClaw CLI, when configured with tools.exec.security=allowlist, tools.exec.ask=on-miss, and tools.exec.safeBins including 'sort', abbreviated GNU long options (e.g., '--compress-prog') can bypass denied-flag checks. This allows execution paths that should require approval to proceed without it. The root cause is that the long-option handling logic matched denied flags only by exact string and accepted unknown long options with inline values instead of failing closed. The issue affects versions >=2026.1.29 and <2026.2.23 and was fixed in version 2026.2.23.
Potential Impact
An attacker or user can bypass the approval mechanism for executing the 'sort' command with certain flags by using abbreviated GNU long options. This leads to unauthorized execution of commands that should require explicit approval, potentially resulting in high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts as indicated by the CVSS score of 8.8.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available in OpenClaw version 2026.2.23. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated as the patch addresses the root cause.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- BREW-openclaw-cli-CVE-2026-28363
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.7.3
- Ecosystems
- ["Homebrew"]
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
Threat ID: 6ac245dd12601ec6a31684c9
Added to database: 10/04/2026, 12:26:05 UTC
Last enriched: 10/04/2026, 13:23:01 UTC
Last updated: 10/04/2026, 16:08:37 UTC
Views: 4
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