CVE-2026-29610

Command hijacking via PATH handling

Discovered: 2026-02-04
Reporter: @akhmittra

OpenClaw previously accepted untrusted PATH sources in limited situations. In affected versions, this could cause OpenClaw to resolve and execute an unintended binary ("command hijacking") when running host commands.

This issue primarily matters when OpenClaw is relying on allowlist/safe-bin protections and expects PATH to be trustworthy.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected: < 2026.2.14
• Patched: >= 2026.2.14 (planned next release)

What Is Required To Trigger This

A) Node Host PATH override (remote command hijack)

An attacker needs all of the following:

• Authenticated/authorized access to an execution surface that can invoke node-host execution (for example, a compromised gateway or a caller that can issue system.run).
• A node host connected and exposing system.run.
• A configuration where allowlist/safe-bins are expected to restrict execution (this is not meaningful if full arbitrary exec is already allowed).
• The ability to pass request-scoped environment overrides (specifically PATH) into system.run.
• A way to place an attacker-controlled executable earlier in PATH (for example, a writable directory on the node host), with a name that matches an allowlisted/safe-bin command that OpenClaw will run.

Notes:

• OpenClaw deployments commonly require a gateway token/password (or equivalent transport authentication). This should not be treated as unauthenticated Internet RCE.
• This scenario typically depends on non-standard / misconfigured deployments (for example, granting untrusted parties access to invoke node-host execution or otherwise exposing a privileged execution surface beyond the intended trust boundary).

B) Project-local PATH bootstrapping (local command hijack)

An attacker needs all of the following:

• The victim runs OpenClaw from within an attacker-controlled working directory (for example, cloning and running inside a malicious repository).
• That directory contains a node_modules/.bin/openclaw and additional attacker-controlled executables in the same directory.
• OpenClaw subsequently executes a command by name (resolved via PATH) that matches one of those attacker-controlled executables.

Fix Commit(s)

• 013e8f6b3be3333a229a066eef26a45fec47ffcc

Thanks @akhmittra for reporting.

Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.

CVE-2026-29610 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

• Project-local node_modules/.bin PATH bootstrapping is now disabled by default. If explicitly enabled, it is append-only (never prepended) via OPENCLAW_ALLOW_PROJECT_LOCAL_BIN=1.
• Node Host now ignores request-scoped PATH overrides.

1. What is CVE-2026-29610? CVE-2026-29610 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-29610? CVE-2026-29610 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-29610? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.14 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-29610? Yes. CVE-2026-29610 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-29610 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-29610 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-29610 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-29610? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.14 or later.