OpenClaw versions before a recent commit normalize environment variables differently for approval and execution. Because the approval path discards non-portable keys while the execution path accepts them, an attacker can supply environment variables that satisfy execution but bypass approval checks. This allows the attacker to influence runtime behavior, including launching attacker‑controlled binaries, effectively achieving remote code execution.

All OpenClaw deployments running a pre‑b57b680 commit. The affected product is OpenClaw, the open‑source firewall platform. The vulnerability applies regardless of the node.js runtime version because it targets the OpenClaw code.

The CVSS score is 6.9, indicating a medium severity. EPSS is unavailable and the issue is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The likely attack vector is inferred: an attacker who can set the environment of an OpenClaw process—either locally or remotely if the process runs with elevated privileges—can inject variables that bypass the approval system. Exploitation requires the attacker to have the ability to influence the execution environment; no network‑level access is explicitly stated.