Summary
OpenClaw has a Command Injection via unescaped environment assignments in Windows Scheduled Task script generation
A command injection vulnerability existed in Windows Scheduled Task script generation for OpenClaw. Environment values were written into gateway.cmd using unquoted set KEY=VALUE, which allowed Windows shell metacharacters in config-provided environment variables to break out of assignment context.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.2.17 - Patched version:
>= 2026.2.19 - Latest published vulnerable version at review time (2026-02-19):
2026.2.17
Practical Risk Context
For a single-user, localhost-only setup on a personally controlled machine, practical risk is typically low.
This issue becomes materially relevant when configuration or environment values are sourced from less-trusted inputs, for example:
- shared/team config templates,
- copied config snippets,
- setup scripts, automation, or repos that write config,
- any workflow where another party can influence env values before
gateway install/reinstall.
In those scenarios, it provides a reliable config-to-command-execution path when the scheduled task script is generated and run.
Details
On Windows, gateway service installation writes a helper batch script and then registers it via Scheduled Task (schtasks).
Before the fix, env lines were rendered as set KEY=VALUE in src/daemon/schtasks.ts, so values containing metacharacters (for example &, |, ^, %, !) could alter command behavior in cmd.exe.
The fix now renders quoted assignments (set "KEY=VALUE") with explicit escaping for cmd metacharacters, updates parser compatibility for quoted assignments, and adds regression tests for metacharacter handling and round-trip parsing.
Fix Commit(s)
dafe52e8cf1a041d898cfb304a485fa05e5f58fb
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Impact
Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-22176? CVE-2026-22176 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.2.17. It is fixed in 2026.2.19. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-22176? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.2.17 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-22176? Yes. CVE-2026-22176 is fixed in 2026.2.19. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-22176 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-22176 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-22176 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-22176? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.19 or later.