CVE-2026-41392: OpenClaw Shell Init-file Options Could Satisfy Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wpc6-37g7-8q4w
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CVSS 7.3
CWE-184
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41392 is a MODERATE (CVSS 7.3) shell init-file options could satisfy vulnerability (CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves shell init-file options could satisfy exec allowlist script matching. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.31.

CVE-2026-41392 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41392
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wpc6-37g7-8q4w
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.3
CWE Classification CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.3

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

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2026-41392

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: 2026.3.31 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.31
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-2026-41392, 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 2026.3.31), 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

## Summary Before OpenClaw 2026.3.31, exec allowlist matching could treat shell init-file wrapper invocations as if the approved script itself were being executed. Shell options such as `--rcfile`, `--init-file`, and `--startup-file` could therefore inherit allowlist trust from a matched script path even though the shell loaded attacker-chosen initialization first. ## Impact This issue only applied when exec allowlist or allow-always behavior was enabled and the attacker could steer a shell-wrapper command shape that used init-file options. The result was a narrower allowlist bypass, not generic arbitrary command execution from an untrusted boundary. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `< 2026.3.31` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `0c8375424620e12777ef24c162eedc7e9fcfd7e3` — reject shell init-file script matches ## Release Process Note The fix shipped in OpenClaw `2026.3.31` on March 31, 2026. The current published npm release `2026.4.1` from April 1, 2026 also contains the fix. Thanks @cyjhhh for reporting.

CVE-2026-41392 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.31
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.31
2026.3.31

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-wpc6-37g7-8q4w
NVD — CVE-2026-41392 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41392
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/0c8375424620e12777ef24c162eedc7e9fcfd7e3
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-exec-allowlist-bypass-via-shell-init-file-options

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41392?
CVE-2026-41392 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Shell init-file options could satisfy exec allowlist script matching under CWE-184: Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.31 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41392?
Upgrading to 2026.3.31 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.31. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.31 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41392?
CVE-2026-41392 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41392?
CVE-2026-41392 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-2026-41392?
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-wpc6-37g7-8q4w",
  "modified" : "2026-05-06T21:22:43Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-07T18:14:35Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41392" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Shell init-file options could satisfy exec allowlist script matching",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nBefore OpenClaw 2026.3.31, exec allowlist matching could treat shell init-file wrapper invocations as if the approved script itself were being executed. Shell options such as `--rcfile`, `--init-file`, and `--startup-file` could therefore inherit allowlist trust from a matched script path even though the shell loaded attacker-chosen initialization first.\n\n## Impact\n\nThis issue only applied when exec allowlist or allow-always behavior was enabled and the attacker could steer a shell-wrapper command shape that used init-file options. The result was a narrower allowlist bypass, not generic arbitrary command execution from an untrusted boundary.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `< 2026.3.31`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31`\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `0c8375424620e12777ef24c162eedc7e9fcfd7e3` — reject shell init-file script matches\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nThe fix shipped in OpenClaw `2026.3.31` on March 31, 2026. The current published npm release `2026.4.1` from April 1, 2026 also contains the fix.\n\nThanks @cyjhhh for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/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" : "2026.3.31"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-wpc6-37g7-8q4w"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41392"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/0c8375424620e12777ef24c162eedc7e9fcfd7e3"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-exec-allowlist-bypass-via-shell-init-file-options"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-184" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-07T18:14:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-28T19:37:42Z"
  }
}