CVE-2026-44114: OpenClaw Workspace Dotenv Could Override Runtime-control Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3
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CVSS 7.8
CWE-184
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-44114 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) workspace dotenv could override runtime-control vulnerability (CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves workspace dotenv could override runtime-control environment variables. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.20.

CVE-2026-44114 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-44114
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.8

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

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2026-44114

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: 2026.4.20 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.20
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-2026-44114, 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 2026.4.20), 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-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs, where the product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are not allowed by policy or otherwise require other action to neutralize before additional processing takes place, but the list is incomplete. 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

## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `< 2026.4.20` - Patched version: `2026.4.20` ## Impact Workspace `.env` loading did not reserve the `OPENCLAW_` runtime-control namespace broadly enough. A malicious workspace could set variables such as `OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR` before source-update or installer flows, potentially steering trusted OpenClaw runtime behavior. This requires running OpenClaw from an attacker-controlled workspace. Severity is medium. ## Fix OpenClaw now reserves the workspace `OPENCLAW_` environment namespace and rejects workspace dotenv entries for OpenClaw runtime-control variables. Fix commit: - `018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6` ## Release Fixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.

CVE-2026-44114 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.20
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.20
2026.4.20

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3
NVD — CVE-2026-44114 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44114
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-namespace-collision-via-workspace-dotenv

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-44114?
CVE-2026-44114 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Workspace dotenv could override runtime-control environment variables under CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.20 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-44114?
Upgrading to 2026.4.20 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.20. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.20 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-44114?
CVE-2026-44114 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-44114?
CVE-2026-44114 is classified under CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs (The product implements a protection mechanism that relies on a list of inputs (or properties of inputs) that are not allowed by policy or otherwise require other action to neutralize before additional processing takes place, but the list is incomplete.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-44114?
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-hxvm-xjvf-93f3",
  "modified" : "2026-05-12T13:36:42Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-25T23:47:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-44114" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Workspace dotenv could override runtime-control environment variables",
  "details" : "## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `< 2026.4.20`\n- Patched version: `2026.4.20`\n\n## Impact\n\nWorkspace `.env` loading did not reserve the `OPENCLAW_` runtime-control namespace broadly enough. A malicious workspace could set variables such as `OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR` before source-update or installer flows, potentially steering trusted OpenClaw runtime behavior.\n\nThis requires running OpenClaw from an attacker-controlled workspace. Severity is medium.\n\n## Fix\n\nOpenClaw now reserves the workspace `OPENCLAW_` environment namespace and rejects workspace dotenv entries for OpenClaw runtime-control variables.\n\nFix commit:\n\n- `018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6`\n\n## Release\n\nFixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.4.20"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44114"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-namespace-collision-via-workspace-dotenv"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-184" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-25T23:47:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}