CVE-2026-45004: Openclaw OpenClaw Vulnerable To Arbitrary Code Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2026-45004 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) openclaw vulnerable to arbitrary code vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via attacker-controlled setup-api.js loaded from cwd during env-key resolution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.23.
CVE-2026-45004 at a Glance
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).
How to Fix CVE-2026-45004
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.
npm install openclaw@2026.4.23Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls openclawHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-45004, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze 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 2026.4.23), 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. 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
CVE-2026-45004 Affected Openclaw Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.4.23
|
2026.4.23
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-45004?
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-45004?
Is openclaw affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-45004?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-45004?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-45004?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-r39h-4c2p-3jxp",
"modified" : "2026-05-19T15:56:39Z",
"published" : "2026-05-05T18:43:44Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-45004" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via attacker-controlled setup-api.js loaded from cwd during env-key resolution",
"details" : "## Summary\n\nOpenClaw's bundled plugin setup resolver could fall back to `process.cwd()` while resolving provider setup metadata. If a user ran an OpenClaw command from an attacker-controlled repository containing `extensions/<plugin>/setup-api.js`, OpenClaw could load and execute that JavaScript during ordinary provider/model status resolution.\n\n## Impact\n\nThis is arbitrary JavaScript execution in the OpenClaw process under the current user account. A malicious repository could run code when the user executed commands such as provider/model inspection from that directory. The issue does not require gateway network exposure, but it does require user interaction: the user must run OpenClaw from a directory containing the attacker-controlled setup file.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` on npm\n- Affected: versions before `2026.4.23`\n- Fixed: `2026.4.23`\n- Latest stable verified fixed: `openclaw@2026.4.23`, tag `v2026.4.23`\n\n## Fix\n\nOpenClaw now resolves bundled setup fallbacks only from the canonical package/repository root and no longer includes `process.cwd()` as a trusted setup-api search root. A regression test verifies that a workspace-local `extensions/<plugin>/setup-api.js` is not loaded through provider setup resolution.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `993781e6e6eaf50f033cfc3e3bf4f47059740707` (`fix(plugins): ignore cwd setup-api fallback`)\n\n## Severity\n\nSeverity remains `high` because successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution under the user running OpenClaw. The CVSS vector is local/user-interaction scoped rather than network-only because the victim must run OpenClaw from an attacker-controlled directory.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "openclaw"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2026.4.23"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-r39h-4c2p-3jxp"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45004"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/993781e6e6eaf50f033cfc3e3bf4f47059740707"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-code-execution-via-setup-api-js-in-current-working-directory"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-05T18:43:44Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}