OpenClaw Improperly Neutralizes Line Breaks in systemd Unit Generation Enables Local Command Execution (Linux)

Exploitation

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

CVSS 4.0

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-32063: 1.12% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 66.18 (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 command injection vulnerability exists in OpenClaw’s Linux systemd unit generation path. When rendering Environment= entries, attacker-controlled values are not rejected for CR/LF, and systemdEscapeArg() uses an incorrect whitespace-matching regex. This allows newline injection to break out of an Environment= line and inject standalone systemd directives (for example, ExecStartPre=). On service restart, the injected command is executed, resulting in local arbitrary command execution (local RCE) under the gateway service user. --- Details The issue is in src/daemon/systemd-unit.ts: - renderEnvLines(...) builds: - Environment=${systemdEscapeArg(${key}=${value})} - No CR/LF validation is enforced for environment keys/values before writing unit lines. - systemdEscapeArg(...) uses: - /[\\s"\\\\]/ - In this regex, \\s is interpreted as a literal backslash + s, not a whitespace character class. As a result, whitespace detection/quoting behavior is incorrect. Because systemd parses…

Published by the source

3 Mar 2026, 21:52 UTC

Last modified by the source

8 Jul 2026, 08:14 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-vffc-f7r7-rx2w

2. Revision 2 · amended · 25 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-vffc-f7r7-rx2w

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-32063

Advisory: OpenClaw Improperly Neutralizes Line Breaks in systemd Unit Generation Enables Local Command Execution (Linux)
IDs: CVE-2026-32063, GHSA-vffc-f7r7-rx2w
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-32063 (revision 3, 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: High (CVSS 8.6)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.2.21. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.2.19-2; fixed in 2026.2.21

## 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-vffc-f7r7-rx2w (OSV record GHSA-vffc-f7r7-rx2w lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.21 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vffc-f7r7-rx2w (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vffc-f7r7-rx2w lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.2.19-2)

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