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High, CVSS 7.4amended

OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating

CVE-2026-28391GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q

What to do

Vendor fix available. Upgrade each affected package to the fixed version on its release line (openclaw 2026.2.2), redeploy, then verify what is actually installed.

This page has no inventory attached, so it cannot say whether you are affected. A vendor fix is not proof that your deployment is fixed.

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Affected packages

  • npm openclaw

    Affected
    < 2026.2.2
    Fixed in
    2026.2.2

Sources

Severity and exploitation
Exploitation
No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.
CVSS 4.0
7.4 · CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source
EPSS
  • CVE-2026-28391: 0.58% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 47.73 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.
Source description

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary On Windows nodes, exec requests were executed via cmd.exe /d /s /c <rawCommand. In allowlist/approval-gated mode, the allowlist analysis did not model Windows cmd.exe parsing and metacharacter behavior. A crafted command string could cause cmd.exe to interpret additional operations (for example command chaining via &, or expansion via %...% / !...!) beyond what was allowlisted/approved. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected: <= 2026.2.1 - Patched: = 2026.2.2 - Latest (npm) as of 2026-02-14: 2026.2.13 Details - Default installs: Not affected unless you opt into exec allowlist/approval gating on Windows nodes. - Windows execution uses cmd.exe via src/infra/node-shell.ts. - The fix hardens Windows allowlist enforcement by: - Passing the platform into allowlist analysis and rejecting Windows shell metacharacters. - Treating cmd.exe invocation as not allowlist-safe on Windows. - Avoiding cmd.exe entirely in allowlist mode by executing the parsed argv…

Dates and revisions
Published by the source
Last modified by the source
Source last checked
  1. Revision 3 · amended ·

    Amended from ghsa record GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q

  2. Revision 2 · amended ·

    Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

  3. Revision 1 · created ·

    Published from osv record GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q

Agent brief

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-28391

Advisory: OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
IDs: CVE-2026-28391, GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-28391 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:43 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.4)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.2.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected < 2026.2.2; fixed in 2026.2.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls openclaw --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on openclaw.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q (OSV record GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.2 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-qj77-c3c8-9c3q lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.2)

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