OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode

Exploitation

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

CVSS 4.0

6.9 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2026-32023: 0.29% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 21.36 (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 A wrapper-depth parsing mismatch in system.run allowed nested transparent dispatch wrappers (for example repeated /usr/bin/env) to suppress shell-wrapper detection while still matching allowlist resolution. In security=allowlist + ask=on-miss, this could bypass the expected approval prompt for shell execution. Severity / Trust Model OpenClaw’s documented model treats authenticated gateway callers as trusted operators and exec approvals as operator guardrails. This issue is still a real approval-boundary bypass and is triaged as Medium in that model. Technical Details - Dispatch-wrapper unwrapping stopped at MAXDISPATCHWRAPPERDEPTH. - Shell-wrapper extraction could return non-wrapper once depth was exhausted. - Allowlist resolution could still succeed on partially unwrapped argv beginning with /usr/bin/env. - Result: nested wrapper chains could execute /bin/sh -c ... without fresh approval in allowlist + ask=on-miss. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) -…

Published by the source

3 Mar 2026, 19:16 UTC

Last modified by the source

30 Mar 2026, 14:05 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:47 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

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

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-32023

Advisory: OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode
IDs: CVE-2026-32023, GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-32023 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:47 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.9)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.2.24. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.2.23; fixed in 2026.2.24

## 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-ccg8-46r6-9qgj (OSV record GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.24 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.2.23)

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