CVE-2026-28460: Openclaw OpenClaw's System.run Allowlist Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9868-vxmx-w862
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CWE-78 CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-28460 is a MODERATE openclaw's system.run allowlist bypass 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 system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.22.

CVE-2026-28460 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-28460
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9868-vxmx-w862
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
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

How to Fix CVE-2026-28460

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-2026-28460, 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 `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.

CVE-2026-28460 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-9868-vxmx-w862
NVD — CVE-2026-28460 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28460
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3f0b9dbb36c86e308267924c0d3d4a4e1fc4d1e9
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-allowlist-bypass-via-shell-line-continuation-command-substitution-in-system-run

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-28460?
CVE-2026-28460 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw's system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution 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-2026-28460?
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 CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28460?
CVE-2026-28460 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-2026-28460?
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-9868-vxmx-w862",
  "modified" : "2026-03-19T21:21:47Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T19:53:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28460" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw's system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution",
  "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: `<=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.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "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-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"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T19:53:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}