OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain an arbitrary shell execution vulnerability in shell environment fallback that trusts the unvalidated SHELL path from the host environment. An attacker with local environment access can inject a malicious SHELL variable to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the OpenClaw process.
Attack Parameters
Attack Vector
Local
Requires local access
Attack Complexity
Low
Easy to exploit
Attack Requirements
Present
Additional conditions required
Privileges Required
Low
Basic privileges needed
User Interaction
None
No user interaction needed
Impact Assessment
Confidentiality
High
Complete data leak
Integrity
High
Complete data modification
Availability
High
Complete denial of service
CVSS Vector v4.0
Weakness Type (CWE)
Vulnerable Products 1
| Configuration | From (including) | Up to (excluding) |
|---|---|---|
|
Openclaw Openclaw
cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
|
— |
2026.2.22
|
References 3
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/25e89cc86338ef475d26be043aa541dfdb9…
disclosure@vulncheck.com
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-f8mp-vj46-cq8v
disclosure@vulncheck.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-shell-execution-via-unv…
disclosure@vulncheck.com