CVE-2026-32023: Openclaw OpenClaw's Dispatch-wrapper Depth-cap Mismatch Can Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj",
  "modified" : "2026-03-30T13:46:28Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T19:16:48Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32023" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode",
  "details" : "### Summary\nA wrapper-depth parsing mismatch in `system.run` allowed nested transparent dispatch wrappers (for example repeated `/usr/bin/env`) to suppress shell-wrapper detection while still matching allowlist resolution. In `security=allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`, this could bypass the expected approval prompt for shell execution.\n\n### Severity / Trust Model\nOpenClaw’s documented model treats authenticated gateway callers as trusted operators and exec approvals as operator guardrails. This issue is still a real approval-boundary bypass and is triaged as **Medium** in that model.\n\n### Technical Details\n- Dispatch-wrapper unwrapping stopped at `MAX_DISPATCH_WRAPPER_DEPTH`.\n- Shell-wrapper extraction could return non-wrapper once depth was exhausted.\n- Allowlist resolution could still succeed on partially unwrapped argv beginning with `/usr/bin/env`.\n- Result: nested wrapper chains could execute `/bin/sh -c ...` without fresh approval in `allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published version at triage time: `2026.2.23`\n- Vulnerable versions: `<= 2026.2.23`\n- Patched versions (planned next release): `>= 2026.2.24`\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b`\n\n### Verification\n- Added regression coverage for depth-overflow wrapper chains at resolution and `system.run` invocation layers.\n- Reproduced previous PoC behavior before fix, then confirmed denial after fix with `SYSTEM_RUN_DENIED: approval required`.\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so once npm publish is complete, advisory publication can proceed without additional version edits.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.\n\n\n### Publication Update (2026-02-25)\n`openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.24"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.2.23"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32023"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-approval-gating-bypass-via-dispatch-wrapper-depth-cap-mismatch-in-system-run"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284", "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T19:16:48Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-19T22:16:36Z"
  }
}