CVE-2026-22179: Openclaw OpenClaw Has MacOS `system.run` Allowlist Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9p38-94jf-hgjj",
  "modified" : "2026-03-19T18:36:18Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T21:41:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22179" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw has macOS `system.run` allowlist bypass via quoted command substitution",
  "details" : "### Summary\nIn OpenClaw's macOS node-host path, `system.run` allowlist parsing in `security=allowlist` mode failed to reject command substitution tokens when they appeared inside double-quoted shell text.\n\nBecause of that gap, payloads like `echo \"ok $(id)\"` could be treated as allowlist hits (first executable token `echo`) while still executing non-allowlisted subcommands through shell substitution.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: npm `openclaw`\n- Latest published affected version: `2026.2.21-2`\n- Affected range: `<= 2026.2.21-2`\n- Patched version (planned next release): `2026.2.22`\n\nNotes:\n- Default installs are not affected (`security=deny` by default).\n- The issue requires opting into `security=allowlist` on the macOS node-host path.\n\n### Impact\nApproval/authorization bypass in allowlist mode that can lead to unintended command execution on the node host.\n\n### Preconditions\n- Target uses macOS node-host / companion-app execution path.\n- Exec approvals set to `security=allowlist`.\n- Ask mode is `on-miss` or `off`.\n- Allowlist contains a benign executable used in a shell wrapper flow (for example `/bin/echo`).\n\n### Reproduction (example)\nUse a shell-wrapper command where the visible executable is allowlisted but the quoted payload contains substitution:\n\n- command argv: `/bin/sh -lc 'echo \"ok $(/usr/bin/id > /tmp/openclaw-poc-rce)\"'`\n- allowlist pattern includes `/bin/echo`\n\nBefore the fix, allowlist analysis could resolve this as allowlisted while shell substitution still executed.\n\n### Remediation\n- Upgrade to `2026.2.22` (or newer) when released.\n- Temporary mitigation: set ask mode to `always` or set security mode to `deny`.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `90a378ca3a9ecbf1634cd247f17a35f4612c6ca6`\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to planned next release `2026.2.22`. After npm release is out, advisory can be published directly.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/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" : "2026.2.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-9p38-94jf-hgjj"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22179"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/90a378ca3a9ecbf1634cd247f17a35f4612c6ca6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-allowlist-bypass-via-command-substitution-in-system-run"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T21:41:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-18T02:16:22Z"
  }
}