OpenClaw's Node system.run approval hardening wrapper semantic drift can execute unintended local scripts

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

6.7 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2026-29608: 0.14% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 3.00 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary In openclaw@2026.3.1, node system.run approval-path hardening rewrote wrapper command argv in a way that changed execution semantics. A command shown/approved as a shell payload (for example echo SAFE) could execute a different local script when wrapper argv were rewritten. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected: 2026.3.1 (latest published npm version as of March 2, 2026) - Fixed release: 2026.3.2 (released) Technical Details Root cause was in node-host approval hardening for system.run: - src/node-host/invoke-system-run-plan.ts rewrote argv[0] to the resolved executable. - Wrapper resolution unwrapped dispatch wrappers, so input like ['env','sh','-c','echo SAFE'] resolved executable sh. - The approved plan could become ['/bin/sh','sh','-c','echo SAFE'] while approval text remained echo SAFE. That rewrite changed runtime behavior: /bin/sh interprets the extra sh positional argument as a script path, enabling execution of a local ./sh file from…

Published by the source

3 Mar 2026, 21:19 UTC

Last modified by the source

19 Mar 2026, 21:41 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-29608

Advisory: OpenClaw's Node system.run approval hardening wrapper semantic drift can execute unintended local scripts
IDs: CVE-2026-29608, GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-29608 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.7)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.3.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected >= 2026.3.1, <= 2026.3.1; fixed in 2026.3.2

## 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-h3rm-6x7g-882f (OSV record GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=2026.3.1 <2026.3.2 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-h3rm-6x7g-882f lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=2026.3.1 <=2026.3.1)

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