Summary
OpenClaw's system.run allowlist bypass via shell line-continuation command substitution
In OpenClaw system.run allowlist mode, shell-wrapper analysis could be bypassed by splitting command substitution as $\\ + newline + ( inside double quotes. Analysis treated the payload as allowlisted (for example /bin/echo), while shell runtime folded the line continuation into $(...) and executed non-allowlisted subcommands.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: npm
openclaw - Latest published affected version:
2026.2.21-2 - Affected range:
<=2026.2.21-2 - Patched version (planned next release):
2026.2.22
Fix Commit(s)
3f0b9dbb36c86e308267924c0d3d4a4e1fc4d1e9
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to planned next release 2026.2.22. After npm release is out, this advisory should be ready for direct publish without additional metadata edits.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Impact
In deployments that opt into tools.exec.security=allowlist (with ask=on-miss or off), this can bypass approval boundaries and lead to unintended command execution.
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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
- Upgrade to
2026.2.22(or newer) when published. - Temporary mitigation: set
tools.exec.ask=alwaysortools.exec.security=deny.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-28460? CVE-2026-28460 is a medium-severity OS command injection vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.22. It is fixed in 2026.2.22. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-28460? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.22 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-28460? Yes. CVE-2026-28460 is fixed in 2026.2.22. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-28460 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-28460 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-2026-28460 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-2026-28460? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.22 or later.