CVE-2026-44995: OpenClaw MCP Stdio Server Env Could Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh
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CWE-829 CWE-427 CWE-454
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-44995 is a MODERATE mcp stdio server env could vulnerability (CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves mcp stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.20.

CVE-2026-44995 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-44995
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-44995

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-2026-44995, 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-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere, where the product imports, requires, or includes executable functionality (such as a library) from a source that is outside of the intended control sphere. 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 MCP stdio configuration could pass dangerous process-startup environment variables such as `NODE_OPTIONS`, `LD_PRELOAD`, or `BASH_ENV` to the spawned MCP server process. In a malicious workspace, this could make the MCP child load attacker-controlled code when the operator starts a session that uses that MCP server. The impact is limited to local/workspace trust boundaries and requires the operator to run OpenClaw in a workspace containing the malicious MCP configuration. Severity is therefore medium, not high/critical. ## Fix OpenClaw now filters MCP stdio environment entries through the host environment safety denylist before spawning stdio MCP servers. Fix commits: - `62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af` - `85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b` ## Release Fixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.

CVE-2026-44995 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-mj59-h3q9-ghfh
NVD — CVE-2026-44995 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44995
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-code-execution-via-mcp-stdio-environment-variables

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-44995?
CVE-2026-44995 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config under CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.20 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-44995?
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 CWE is associated with CVE-2026-44995?
CVE-2026-44995 is classified under CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere (The product imports, requires, or includes executable functionality (such as a library) from a source that is outside of the intended control sphere.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-44995?
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-mj59-h3q9-ghfh",
  "modified" : "2026-05-19T15:56:20Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-25T23:48:03Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-44995" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config",
  "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 MCP stdio configuration could pass dangerous process-startup environment variables such as `NODE_OPTIONS`, `LD_PRELOAD`, or `BASH_ENV` to the spawned MCP server process. In a malicious workspace, this could make the MCP child load attacker-controlled code when the operator starts a session that uses that MCP server.\n\nThe impact is limited to local/workspace trust boundaries and requires the operator to run OpenClaw in a workspace containing the malicious MCP configuration. Severity is therefore medium, not high/critical.\n\n## Fix\n\nOpenClaw now filters MCP stdio environment entries through the host environment safety denylist before spawning stdio MCP servers.\n\nFix commits:\n\n- `62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af`\n- `85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b`\n\n## Release\n\nFixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/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-mj59-h3q9-ghfh"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44995"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-code-execution-via-mcp-stdio-environment-variables"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-427", "CWE-454", "CWE-829" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-25T23:48:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}