GHSA-9868-VXMX-W862

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-03-03 19:53 – Updated: 2026-03-19 21:21
VLAI?
Summary
OpenClaw's system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution
Details

Summary

In OpenClaw system.run allowlist mode, shell-wrapper analysis could be bypassed by splitting command substitution as $\\ + newline + ( inside double quotes. Analysis treated the payload as allowlisted (for example /bin/echo), while shell runtime folded the line continuation into $(...) and executed non-allowlisted subcommands.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: npm openclaw
  • Latest published affected version: 2026.2.21-2
  • Affected range: <=2026.2.21-2
  • Patched version (planned next release): 2026.2.22

Impact

In deployments that opt into tools.exec.security=allowlist (with ask=on-miss or off), this can bypass approval boundaries and lead to unintended command execution.

Fix Commit(s)

  • 3f0b9dbb36c86e308267924c0d3d4a4e1fc4d1e9

Remediation

  • Upgrade to 2026.2.22 (or newer) when published.
  • Temporary mitigation: set tools.exec.ask=always or tools.exec.security=deny.

Release Process Note

patched_versions is pre-set to planned next release 2026.2.22. After npm release is out, this advisory should be ready for direct publish without additional metadata edits.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "openclaw"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "2026.2.22"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-28460"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-78",
      "CWE-863"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-03-03T19:53:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "### Summary\nIn OpenClaw `system.run` allowlist mode, shell-wrapper analysis could be bypassed by splitting command substitution as `$\\\\` + newline + `(` inside double quotes. Analysis treated the payload as allowlisted (for example `/bin/echo`), while shell runtime folded the line continuation into `$(...)` and executed non-allowlisted subcommands.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: npm `openclaw`\n- Latest published affected version: `2026.2.21-2`\n- Affected range: `\u003c=2026.2.21-2`\n- Patched version (planned next release): `2026.2.22`\n\n### Impact\nIn deployments that opt into `tools.exec.security=allowlist` (with `ask=on-miss` or `off`), this can bypass approval boundaries and lead to unintended command execution.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `3f0b9dbb36c86e308267924c0d3d4a4e1fc4d1e9`\n\n### Remediation\n- Upgrade to `2026.2.22` (or newer) when published.\n- Temporary mitigation: set `tools.exec.ask=always` or `tools.exec.security=deny`.\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to planned next release `2026.2.22`. After npm release is out, this advisory should be ready for direct publish without additional metadata edits.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "id": "GHSA-9868-vxmx-w862",
  "modified": "2026-03-19T21:21:47Z",
  "published": "2026-03-03T19:53:22Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-9868-vxmx-w862"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28460"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3f0b9dbb36c86e308267924c0d3d4a4e1fc4d1e9"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-allowlist-bypass-via-shell-line-continuation-command-substitution-in-system-run"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [],
  "summary": "OpenClaw\u0027s system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution"
}


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