CVE-2026-43531: OpenClaw Workspace .env Could Inject OpenClaw Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-15
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-43531 is a MODERATE (CVSS 8.8) workspace .env could inject openclaw vulnerability (CWE-15: External Control of System or Configuration Setting) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves workspace .env could inject openclaw runtime-control variables. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.9.

CVE-2026-43531 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-43531
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-15: External Control of System or Configuration Setting
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-43531

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: 2026.4.9 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.9
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-2026-43531, 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 2026.4.9), 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-15: External Control of System or Configuration Setting, where one or more system settings or configuration elements can be externally controlled by a user. 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 Workspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` - Ecosystem: npm - Affected versions: `< 2026.4.9` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.9` ## Impact A malicious workspace `.env` file could set OpenClaw runtime-control variables affecting update sources, gateway URLs, ClawHub resolution, browser executable paths, and related behavior. ## Technical Details The fix blocks OpenClaw runtime-control keys and key families from workspace `.env` loading. ## Fix The issue was fixed in #62660. The first stable tag containing the fix is `v2026.4.9`, and `openclaw@2026.4.14` includes the fix. ## Fix Commit(s) - `dbfcef319618158fa40b31cdac386ea34c392c0c` - PR: #62660 ## Release Process Note Users should upgrade to `openclaw` 2026.4.9 or newer. The latest npm release, `2026.4.14`, already includes the fix. ## Credits Thanks to @zsxsoft, with sponsorship from @KeenSecurityLab for reporting this issue.

CVE-2026-43531 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.9
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.9
2026.4.9

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc
NVD — CVE-2026-43531 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43531
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/62660
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/dbfcef319618158fa40b31cdac386ea34c392c0c
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-injection-via-workspace-env-file

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-43531?
CVE-2026-43531 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Workspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables under CWE-15: External Control of System or Configuration Setting.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.4.9 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-43531?
Upgrading to 2026.4.9 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.9. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.9 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-43531?
CVE-2026-43531 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-43531?
CVE-2026-43531 is classified under CWE-15: External Control of System or Configuration Setting (One or more system settings or configuration elements can be externally controlled by a user.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-43531?
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-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc",
  "modified" : "2026-05-08T21:48:03Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-17T21:56:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-43531" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Workspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nWorkspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw`\n- Ecosystem: npm\n- Affected versions: `< 2026.4.9`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.9`\n\n## Impact\n\nA malicious workspace `.env` file could set OpenClaw runtime-control variables affecting update sources, gateway URLs, ClawHub resolution, browser executable paths, and related behavior.\n\n## Technical Details\n\nThe fix blocks OpenClaw runtime-control keys and key families from workspace `.env` loading.\n\n## Fix\n\nThe issue was fixed in #62660. The first stable tag containing the fix is `v2026.4.9`, and `openclaw@2026.4.14` includes the fix.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `dbfcef319618158fa40b31cdac386ea34c392c0c`\n- PR: #62660\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nUsers should upgrade to `openclaw` 2026.4.9 or newer. The latest npm release, `2026.4.14`, already includes the fix.\n\n## Credits\n\nThanks to @zsxsoft, with sponsorship from @KeenSecurityLab for reporting this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.4.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43531"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/62660"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/dbfcef319618158fa40b31cdac386ea34c392c0c"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-injection-via-workspace-env-file"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-15" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-17T21:56:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-05T12:16:19Z"
  }
}