Openclaw cli: OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating (CVE-2026-28391)

OpenClaw CLI on Windows executes commands via 'cmd.exe /d /s /c <rawCommand>'. In allowlist or approval-gated mode, the allowlist analysis failed to account for Windows cmd.exe parsing and metacharacters such as command chaining ('&') and environment variable expansion ('%...%' or '!…!'). This flaw allows crafted command strings to bypass exec allowlist or approval gating by exploiting cmd.exe's parsing behavior. The vulnerability affects versions up to 2026.2.1. The fix, introduced in 2026.2.2, hardens allowlist enforcement by passing platform information into allowlist analysis, rejecting Windows shell metacharacters, treating cmd.exe invocation as unsafe, and executing parsed argv directly when possible to avoid cmd.exe.

An attacker able to submit exec requests on Windows nodes with allowlist or approval gating enabled can bypass these restrictions and execute arbitrary commands. This leads to full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected systems. The CVSS score is 9.8 (critical), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

A patch is available and should be applied by upgrading OpenClaw CLI to version 2026.2.2 or later. The fix improves allowlist enforcement and avoids unsafe cmd.exe invocation. Systems not using exec allowlist/approval gating on Windows nodes are not affected. No additional mitigations are required beyond applying the official fix.