CVE-2026-32003: Openclaw Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2fgq-7j6h-9rm4",
  "modified" : "2026-03-30T13:19:17Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T00:40:56Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32003" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw has system.run shell-wrapper env injection via SHELLOPTS/PS4 can bypass allowlist intent (RCE)",
  "details" : "### Summary\n`system.run` allowed `SHELLOPTS` + `PS4` environment injection to trigger command substitution during `bash -lc` xtrace expansion before the allowlisted command body executed.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.21-2` (includes latest published npm version at triage time)\n- Patched (planned next release): `2026.2.22`\n\n### Impact\nIn `allowlist` mode, an attacker who can invoke `system.run` with request-scoped `env` could execute additional shell commands outside the intended allowlisted command body.\n\n### Root Cause\nHost exec env sanitization blocked startup-file vectors (`BASH_ENV`, `ENV`, etc.) but did not block `SHELLOPTS`/`PS4`. For shell wrappers (`bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc`), request env overrides were passed through and `bash` evaluated `PS4` under `xtrace`, enabling command substitution.\n\n### Fix\n- Block `SHELLOPTS` and `PS4` in host exec env sanitizers (Node + macOS).\n- For shell wrappers (`bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc`), reduce request-scoped env overrides to an explicit allowlist (`TERM`, `LANG`, `LC_*`, `COLORTERM`, `NO_COLOR`, `FORCE_COLOR`).\n- Add regression tests for TS and macOS paths.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9a`\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.22`). Once npm release `2026.2.22` is published, advisory publication is a final state action only.\n\n### Severity Rationale\nThis advisory is rated **medium** because exploitation requires a caller that can already invoke `system.run` with request-scoped `env`.\n\nUnder OpenClaw's documented trust model (`SECURITY.md`), authenticated Gateway callers are treated as trusted operators, and adversarial multi-operator / prompt-injection scenarios are out of scope.\n\nThe bug remains a real allowlist-intent bypass, but it does not cross a separate trust boundary in the documented deployment assumptions.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-2fgq-7j6h-9rm4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9a"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-remote-code-execution-via-shellopts-ps4-environment-injection-in-system-run"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-15", "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T00:40:56Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-19T22:16:32Z"
  }
}