CVE-2026-28463: OpenClaw exec approvals SafeBins Could Bypass Stdin-only Constraints Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2026-28463 is a HIGH (CVSS 5.7) safebins could bypass stdin-only constraints vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting OpenClaw exec approvals libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves safebins could bypass stdin-only constraints via shell expansion. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.14.
CVE-2026-28463 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.7
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-28463
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenClaw exec approvals 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@2026.2.14Run 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-2026-28463, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenClaw exec approvals in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.2.14), 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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In OpenClaw exec approvals, 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-2026-28463 Affected OpenClaw exec approvals Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.2.14
|
2026.2.14
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-28463?
Which OpenClaw exec approvals versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-28463?
Is openclaw affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-28463?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28463?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-28463?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-xvhf-x56f-2hpp",
"modified" : "2026-03-06T01:02:54Z",
"published" : "2026-02-18T00:50:47Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28463" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw exec approvals: safeBins could bypass stdin-only constraints via shell expansion",
"details" : "## Summary\n\nOpenClaw's exec-approvals allowlist supports a small set of \"safe bins\" intended to be stdin-only (no positional file arguments) when running `tools.exec.host=gateway|node` with `security=allowlist`.\n\nIn affected configurations, the allowlist validation checked pre-expansion argv tokens, but execution used a real shell (`sh -c`) which expands globs and environment variables. This allowed safe bins like `head`, `tail`, or `grep` to read arbitrary local files via tokens such as `*` or `$HOME/...` without triggering approvals.\n\nThis issue is configuration-dependent and is not exercised by default settings (default `tools.exec.host` is `sandbox`).\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.13`\n- Patched: `>= 2026.2.14` (planned; publish the advisory after the npm release is out)\n\n## Impact\n\nAn authorized but untrusted caller (or prompt-injection) could cause the gateway/node process to disclose files readable by that process when host execution is enabled in allowlist mode.\n\n## Fix\n\nSafe-bins executions now force argv tokens to be treated as literal text at execution time (single-quoted), preventing globbing and `$VARS` expansion from turning \"safe\" tokens into file paths.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- 77b89719d5b7e271f48b6f49e334a8b991468c3b\n\n## Release Process Note\n\n`patched_versions` is pre-set for the next planned release (`>= 2026.2.14`) so publishing is a single click once that npm version is available.\n\nThanks @christos-eth for reporting.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
}, {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/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" : "2026.2.14"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xvhf-x56f-2hpp"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28463"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/77b89719d5b7e271f48b6f49e334a8b991468c3b"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.14"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-file-read-via-shell-expansion-in-safe-bins-allowlist"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T00:50:47Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-05T22:16:19Z"
}
}