GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7: Cline Unauthorized Npm Publish Of Cline@2.3.0 Vulnerability

LOW
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CWE-506
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 is a LOW unauthorized npm publish of cline@2.3.0 vulnerability (CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code) affecting Cline libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unauthorized npm publish of cline@2.3.0 with modified postinstall script. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.4.0.

GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code
Affected Product Cline
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7

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

cline fixed: 2.4.0 
npm install cline@2.4.0
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 cline

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls cline

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Cline in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.4.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls cline 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-506: Embedded Malicious Code, where the product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature. In Cline, 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

### Description On February 17, 2026 at 3:26 AM PT, an unauthorized party used a compromised npm publish token to publish an update to Cline CLI on the NPM registry: cline@2.3.0. The published package contains a modified package.json with an added postinstall script: `"postinstall": "npm install -g openclaw@latest"` This causes openclaw (an unrelated, non-malicious open source package) to be globally installed when cline@2.3.0 is installed. No other files were modified -- the CLI binary (dist/cli.mjs) and all other package contents are identical to the legitimate cline@2.2.3 release. A corrected version (2.4.0) was published at 11:23 AM PT and 2.3.0 was deprecated at 11:30 AM PT. The compromised token has been revoked and npm publishing now uses OIDC provenance via GitHub Actions. ### Impact Users who installed Cline CLI cline@2.3.0 during the approximately 8-hour window between 3:26 AM PT and 11:30 AM PT on February 17 will have openclaw globally installed. The openclaw package is a legitimate open source project and is not malicious, but its installation was not authorized or intended. The Cline VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin were not affected. This advisory applies only to the Cline CLI package published on npm. ### Patches Versions 2.4.0 and higher are fixed ### Workarounds If you installed Cline CLI cline@2.3.0: 1. Update to the latest version of the Cline CLI `cline update` or `npm installl -g cline@latest` 2. Verify that you have a fixed version (2.4.0 or higher) `cline --version` 3. Review your environment for any unexpected installation of OpenClaw and remove it if not intended `npm uninstall -g openclaw`

GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 Affected Cline Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.4.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
cline
npm/cline
npm
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.4.0
All 1 versions
2.3.0
2.4.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7
Cline Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/cline/cline
Cline Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/4012598c9b06e58935bd8883f7a0cd37c3130664/osv/malicious/npm/cline/MAL-2026-1380.json

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7?
GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 is a security vulnerability in Cline involving Unauthorized npm publish of cline@2.3.0 with modified postinstall script under CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code.
Which Cline versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.4.0 across affected packages: cline.
What version fixes GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7?
Upgrading to 2.4.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is cline affected?
Yes, cline is affected in releases prior to 2.4.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.4.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7?
GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7 is classified under CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code (The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.).
How can I check npm dependencies for GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls cline'. 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-9ppg-jx86-fqw7",
  "modified" : "2026-09-04T07:15:20Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-19T15:17:10Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Unauthorized npm publish of cline@2.3.0 with modified postinstall script",
  "details" : "### Description\nOn February 17, 2026 at 3:26 AM PT, an unauthorized party used a compromised npm publish token to publish an update to Cline CLI on the NPM registry: cline@2.3.0. The published package contains a modified package.json with an added postinstall script:\n`\"postinstall\": \"npm install -g openclaw@latest\"`\nThis causes openclaw (an unrelated, non-malicious open source package) to be globally installed when cline@2.3.0 is installed. No other files were modified -- the CLI binary (dist/cli.mjs) and all other package contents are identical to the legitimate cline@2.2.3 release.\nA corrected version (2.4.0) was published at 11:23 AM PT and 2.3.0 was deprecated at 11:30 AM PT. The compromised token has been revoked and npm publishing now uses OIDC provenance via GitHub Actions.\n\n### Impact\nUsers who installed Cline CLI cline@2.3.0 during the approximately 8-hour window between 3:26 AM PT and 11:30 AM PT on February 17 will have openclaw globally installed. The openclaw package is a legitimate open source project and is not malicious, but its installation was not authorized or intended.\n\nThe Cline VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin were not affected. This advisory applies only to the Cline CLI package published on npm.\n\n### Patches\nVersions 2.4.0 and higher are fixed\n\n### Workarounds\nIf you installed Cline CLI cline@2.3.0:\n1. Update to the latest version of the Cline CLI\n`cline update` or `npm installl -g cline@latest`\n2. Verify that you have a fixed version (2.4.0 or higher)\n`cline --version`\n3. Review your environment for any unexpected installation of OpenClaw and remove it if not intended\n`npm uninstall -g openclaw`",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "cline"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.4.0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "2.3.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cline/cline"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/4012598c9b06e58935bd8883f7a0cd37c3130664/osv/malicious/npm/cline/MAL-2026-1380.json"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-506" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-19T15:17:10Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}