CVE-2026-28470: Openclaw OpenClaw Has An Exec Allowlist Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-3hcm-ggvf-rch5
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-78 CWE-88
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-28470 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.8) openclaw has an exec allowlist vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw has an exec allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.2.

CVE-2026-28470 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-28470
GHSA Identifier GHSA-3hcm-ggvf-rch5
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-28470

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Openclaw dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openclaw fixed: 2026.2.2 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls openclaw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-28470, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Openclaw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.2.2), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls openclaw command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Openclaw, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary Exec approvals allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `<= 2026.2.1` - Fixed: `>= 2026.2.2` ### Impact Only affects setups that explicitly enable the optional exec approvals allowlist feature. Default installs are unaffected. ### Fix Reject unescaped `$()` and backticks inside double quotes during allowlist analysis. ### Fix Commit(s) - d1ecb46076145deb188abcba8f0699709ea17198 Thanks @simecek for reporting.

CVE-2026-28470 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.2
2026.2.2

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-3hcm-ggvf-rch5
NVD — CVE-2026-28470 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28470
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d1ecb46076145deb188abcba8f0699709ea17198
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
Openclaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.2
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-exec-allowlist-bypass-via-command-substitution-in-double-quotes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-28470?
CVE-2026-28470 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw has an exec allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.2 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-28470?
Upgrading to 2026.2.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-28470?
CVE-2026-28470 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28470?
CVE-2026-28470 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-28470?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-3hcm-ggvf-rch5",
  "modified" : "2026-03-06T01:02:32Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-17T16:46:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28470" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw has an exec allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes",
  "details" : "### Summary\n\nExec approvals allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.1`\n- Fixed: `>= 2026.2.2`\n\n### Impact\n\nOnly affects setups that explicitly enable the optional exec approvals allowlist feature. Default installs are unaffected.\n\n### Fix\n\nReject unescaped `$()` and backticks inside double quotes during allowlist analysis.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n\n- d1ecb46076145deb188abcba8f0699709ea17198\n\nThanks @simecek for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-3hcm-ggvf-rch5"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28470"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d1ecb46076145deb188abcba8f0699709ea17198"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-exec-allowlist-bypass-via-command-substitution-in-double-quotes"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78", "CWE-88" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-17T16:46:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-05T22:16:20Z"
  }
}