CVE-2026-32979: OpenClaw Unbound Interpreter And Runtime Commands Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xf99-j42q-5w5p
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CVSS 7.3
CWE-367
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32979 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.3) unbound interpreter and runtime commands vulnerability (CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unbound interpreter and runtime commands could bypass node-host approval integrity. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.11.

CVE-2026-32979 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32979
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xf99-j42q-5w5p
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.3
CWE Classification CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
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-2026-32979

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: 2026.3.11 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.11
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-2026-32979, 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 2026.3.11), 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-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition, where the product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. 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 In affected versions of `openclaw`, node-host `system.run` approvals could still execute rewritten local code for interpreter and runtime commands when OpenClaw could not bind exactly one concrete local file operand during approval planning. ## Impact Deployments using node-host `system.run` approval mode could approve a benign local script and then execute different local code if that script changed before execution. This can lead to unintended local code execution as the OpenClaw runtime user. ## Affected Packages and Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.3.8` - Fixed in: `2026.3.11` ## Technical Details The approval flow treated some interpreter and runtime forms as approval-backed even when it could not honestly bind a single direct local script file. That left residual approval-integrity gaps for runtime forms outside the directly bound file set. ## Fix OpenClaw now fails closed for approval-backed interpreter and runtime commands unless it can bind exactly one concrete local file operand, and it extends best-effort direct-file binding for additional runtime forms. The fix shipped in `openclaw@2026.3.11`. ## Workarounds Upgrade to `2026.3.11` or later.

CVE-2026-32979 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.11
2026.3.11

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xf99-j42q-5w5p
NVD — CVE-2026-32979 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32979
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.11
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-unbound-interpreter-and-runtime-commands-bypass-in-node-host-approval

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32979?
CVE-2026-32979 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Unbound interpreter and runtime commands could bypass node-host approval integrity under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.11 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32979?
Upgrading to 2026.3.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.11. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32979?
CVE-2026-32979 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (HIGH) 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-2026-32979?
CVE-2026-32979 is classified under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition (The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-32979?
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-xf99-j42q-5w5p",
  "modified" : "2026-04-06T22:36:18Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-13T15:47:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32979" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Unbound interpreter and runtime commands could bypass node-host approval integrity",
  "details" : "## Summary\nIn affected versions of `openclaw`, node-host `system.run` approvals could still execute rewritten local code for interpreter and runtime commands when OpenClaw could not bind exactly one concrete local file operand during approval planning.\n\n## Impact\nDeployments using node-host `system.run` approval mode could approve a benign local script and then execute different local code if that script changed before execution. This can lead to unintended local code execution as the OpenClaw runtime user.\n\n## Affected Packages and Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.3.8`\n- Fixed in: `2026.3.11`\n\n## Technical Details\nThe approval flow treated some interpreter and runtime forms as approval-backed even when it could not honestly bind a single direct local script file. That left residual approval-integrity gaps for runtime forms outside the directly bound file set.\n\n## Fix\nOpenClaw now fails closed for approval-backed interpreter and runtime commands unless it can bind exactly one concrete local file operand, and it extends best-effort direct-file binding for additional runtime forms. The fix shipped in `openclaw@2026.3.11`.\n\n## Workarounds\nUpgrade to `2026.3.11` or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xf99-j42q-5w5p"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32979"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.11"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-unbound-interpreter-and-runtime-commands-bypass-in-node-host-approval"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-367" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-13T15:47:41Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}