CVE-2026-32003

system.run allowed SHELLOPTS + PS4 environment injection to trigger command substitution during bash -lc xtrace expansion before the allowlisted command body executed.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected: <= 2026.2.21-2 (includes latest published npm version at triage time)
• Patched (planned next release): 2026.2.22

Root Cause

Host exec env sanitization blocked startup-file vectors (BASH_ENV, ENV, etc.) but did not block SHELLOPTS/PS4. For shell wrappers (bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc), request env overrides were passed through and bash evaluated PS4 under xtrace, enabling command substitution.

Fix Commit(s)

• e80c803fa887f9699ad87a9e906ab5c1ff85bd9a

Release Process Note

patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.22). Once npm release 2026.2.22 is published, advisory publication is a final state action only.

Severity Rationale

This advisory is rated medium because exploitation requires a caller that can already invoke system.run with request-scoped env.

Under OpenClaw's documented trust model (SECURITY.md), authenticated Gateway callers are treated as trusted operators, and adversarial multi-operator / prompt-injection scenarios are out of scope.

The bug remains a real allowlist-intent bypass, but it does not cross a separate trust boundary in the documented deployment assumptions.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

In allowlist mode, an attacker who can invoke system.run with request-scoped env could execute additional shell commands outside the intended allowlisted command body.

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

CVE-2026-32003 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (2026.2.22); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

• Block SHELLOPTS and PS4 in host exec env sanitizers (Node + macOS).
• For shell wrappers (bash|sh|zsh ... -c/-lc), reduce request-scoped env overrides to an explicit allowlist (TERM, LANG, LC_*, COLORTERM, NO_COLOR, FORCE_COLOR).
• Add regression tests for TS and macOS paths.

1. What is CVE-2026-32003? CVE-2026-32003 is a high-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.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-32003? CVE-2026-32003 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (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-2026-32003? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.22 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32003? Yes. CVE-2026-32003 is fixed in 2026.2.22. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-32003 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32003 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-2026-32003 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-2026-32003? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.22 or later.