OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 are vulnerable to arbitrary shell execution due to a flaw in the shell environment fallback that trusts the unvalidated SHELL environment variable. When the OpenClaw process starts, it inherits the host environment and uses the SHELL value directly to locate a shell binary. An attacker controlling the local environment can set SHELL to a malicious script, allowing the execution of arbitrary commands with the privileges of the OpenClaw process. This represents a local privilege escalation or code execution risk (CWE-426).

All OpenClaw deployments running a version older than 2026.2.22 are affected. The vulnerability is present in the OpenClaw product, as identified by the OpenClaw CNA, and applies to any installation that executes the vulnerable code path before the hardening introduced in 2026.2.22.

The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.3, indicating a high severity. EPSS data is not available, and the vulnerability is not yet listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation requires an attacker to have local access to set or influence the SHELL environment variable for the process. Once that precondition is met, the attacker can trigger arbitrary command execution with the OpenClaw process’s privileges, potentially allowing them to read, modify, or delete data, or pivot to further attacks within the same host. Therefore, the risk is significant for systems with local attacker presence and should be mitigated promptly.