CVE-2026-29607: Openclaw OpenClaw's Allow-always Wrapper Persistence Could Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6j27-pc5c-m8w8
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CVSS 6.4
CWE-78 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-29607 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.4) openclaw's allow-always wrapper persistence could 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's allow-always wrapper persistence could bypass future approvals and enable command execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.22.

CVE-2026-29607 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-29607
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6j27-pc5c-m8w8
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.4
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: 6.4

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-29607

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: 2026.2.22 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.22
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-2026-29607, 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 2026.2.22), 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 In `openclaw` npm releases up to and including `2026.2.21-2`, approving wrapped `system.run` commands with `allow-always` in `security=allowlist` mode could persist wrapper-level allowlist entries and enable later approval-bypass execution of different inner payloads. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.21-2` - Planned patched version: `2026.2.22` ### Details `allow-always` persistence was based on wrapper-level resolution instead of stable inner executable intent. A benign approved wrapper invocation could therefore broaden future trust boundaries. Affected paths included gateway and node-host execution approval persistence flows. The fix now persists inner executable paths for known dispatch-wrapper chains (`env`, `nice`, `nohup`, `stdbuf`, `timeout`) and fails closed when safe unwrapping cannot be derived. ### Impact Authorization boundary bypass in allowlist mode, potentially leading to approval-free command execution (RCE class) on subsequent wrapped invocations. ### Mitigation Upgrade to `2026.2.22` (planned next release) or run with stricter exec policy (`ask=always` / `security=deny`) until upgraded. ### Fix Commit(s) - `24c954d972400f508814532dea0e4dcb38418bb0` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to `2026.2.22` so this advisory is publish-ready; publish after the npm release is live. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

CVE-2026-29607 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.22
2026.2.22

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-6j27-pc5c-m8w8
NVD — CVE-2026-29607 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-29607
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/24c954d972400f508814532dea0e4dcb38418bb0
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authorization-bypass-via-allow-always-wrapper-persistence

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-29607?
CVE-2026-29607 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw's allow-always wrapper persistence could bypass future approvals and enable command execution 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 2026.2.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-29607?
Upgrading to 2026.2.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.22. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.22 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-29607?
CVE-2026-29607 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-29607?
CVE-2026-29607 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-2026-29607?
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-6j27-pc5c-m8w8",
  "modified" : "2026-03-19T21:21:56Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-02T22:20:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-29607" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw's allow-always wrapper persistence could bypass future approvals and enable command execution",
  "details" : "### Summary\nIn `openclaw` npm releases up to and including `2026.2.21-2`, approving wrapped `system.run` commands with `allow-always` in `security=allowlist` mode could persist wrapper-level allowlist entries and enable later approval-bypass execution of different inner payloads.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.21-2`\n- Planned patched version: `2026.2.22`\n\n### Details\n`allow-always` persistence was based on wrapper-level resolution instead of stable inner executable intent. A benign approved wrapper invocation could therefore broaden future trust boundaries.\n\nAffected paths included gateway and node-host execution approval persistence flows. The fix now persists inner executable paths for known dispatch-wrapper chains (`env`, `nice`, `nohup`, `stdbuf`, `timeout`) and fails closed when safe unwrapping cannot be derived.\n\n### Impact\nAuthorization boundary bypass in allowlist mode, potentially leading to approval-free command execution (RCE class) on subsequent wrapped invocations.\n\n### Mitigation\nUpgrade to `2026.2.22` (planned next release) or run with stricter exec policy (`ask=always` / `security=deny`) until upgraded.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `24c954d972400f508814532dea0e4dcb38418bb0`\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to `2026.2.22` so this advisory is publish-ready; publish after the npm release is live.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "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-6j27-pc5c-m8w8"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-29607"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/24c954d972400f508814532dea0e4dcb38418bb0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-authorization-bypass-via-allow-always-wrapper-persistence"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-02T22:20:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}