Description
OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 contains an exec allowlist analysis vulnerability allowing shell expansion hiding in unquoted heredoc bodies. Attackers can bypass allowlist validation by embedding shell expansion tokens in heredoc bodies to execute unapproved commands at runtime.
Published: 2026-05-06
Score: 8.7 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.4.22 are vulnerable to a shell expansion bypass that allows injected commands to be executed when unquoted heredoc bodies are processed. This flaw enables users who can control the input to run arbitrary commands, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the system. The weakness is a classic command injection scenario (CWE‑184).

Affected Systems

Affected components include the OpenClaw application released by OpenClaw. Any installation running a version older than 2026.4.22 is susceptible; versions 2026.4.22 and later contain the remediation.

Risk and Exploitability

The vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 8.7, indicating high severity. EPSS is not available and the issue is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Attackers can exploit the flaw by submitting a crafted heredoc that contains shell expansions. The exploit path requires the ability to influence OpenClaw’s input; if the application runs with elevated privileges, the attacker can gain equivalent privileges. Given its high CVSS, the risk is significant, especially in environments where OpenClaw processes untrusted data or runs as a privileged service.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 6, 2026 at 21:28 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.4.22 or later.
  • Validate or quote all heredoc inputs to prevent unintentional shell expansion.
  • Run OpenClaw with the least privilege necessary and disable shell expansion in the execution environment where possible.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 6, 2026 at 21:28 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description OpenClaw before 2026.4.22 contains an exec allowlist analysis vulnerability allowing shell expansion hiding in unquoted heredoc bodies. Attackers can bypass allowlist validation by embedding shell expansion tokens in heredoc bodies to execute unapproved commands at runtime.
Title OpenClaw < 2026.4.22 - Shell Expansion Bypass in Unquoted Heredocs via Exec Allowlist
First Time appeared Openclaw
Openclaw openclaw
Weaknesses CWE-184
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
Vendors & Products Openclaw
Openclaw openclaw
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Subscriptions

Openclaw Openclaw
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: VulnCheck

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-07T12:38:07.174Z

Reserved: 2026-05-05T11:30:46.259Z

Link: CVE-2026-44115

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-05-07T12:38:00.602Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-05-06T20:16:35.497

Modified: 2026-05-06T21:20:52.707

Link: CVE-2026-44115

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-05-06T22:15:13Z

Weaknesses