OpenClaw's system.run env override filtering allowed dangerous helper-command pivots

Exploitation

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

CVSS

6.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

EPSS

No dated EPSS signal available.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary system.run env override sanitization allowed dangerous override-only helper-command pivots to reach subprocesses. A caller who could invoke system.run with env overrides could bypass allowlist/approval intent by steering an allowlisted tool through helper-command or config-loading environment variables such as GITSSHCOMMAND, editor/pager hooks, and GITCONFIG / NPMCONFIG. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Latest published vulnerable version: 2026.3.2 - Affected range: <= 2026.3.2 - Patched in: 2026.3.7 Details Before the fix, src/infra/host-env-security.ts blocked only a narrow set of override-only environment variables. Dangerous request-scoped overrides such as GITSSHCOMMAND and prefix families such as GITCONFIG and NPMCONFIG could still survive sanitizeSystemRunEnvOverrides(...) / sanitizeHostExecEnv(...) and reach the spawned process. That mattered for system.run allowlist and approval flows because approval evaluation was tied to the reviewed…

Published by the source

9 Mar 2026, 19:52 UTC

Last modified by the source

9 Mar 2026, 20:01 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:43 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc

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# Patch Next advisory brief: GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc

Advisory: OpenClaw's `system.run` env override filtering allowed dangerous helper-command pivots
IDs: GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/ghsa-j425-whc4-4jgc (revision 2, 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: Medium (CVSS 6.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.3.7. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.3.2; fixed in 2026.3.7

## 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-j425-whc4-4jgc (OSV record GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.3.7 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-j425-whc4-4jgc lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.3.2)

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