Summary
OpenClaw's system.run approval TOCTOU via mutable symlink cwd target on node host
In [email protected], approval-bound system.run on node hosts could be influenced by mutable symlink cwd targets between approval and execution.
Details
Approval matching on the gateway validated command/argv and binding fields, including cwd, as provided text. Node execution later used runtime cwd resolution. A symlinked cwd could therefore be retargeted after approval and before spawn.
OpenClaw's trust model does not treat one shared gateway as a multi-tenant adversarial boundary, but approval integrity is still a security boundary for operator-reviewed command execution.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected:
<= 2026.2.24 - Patched:
>= 2026.2.25
Fix Commit(s)
f789f880c934caa8be25b38832f27f90f37903db
Release Process Note
Patched version is pre-set to the release (2026.2.25). Advisory published with npm release 2026.2.25.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Impact
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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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
The fix adds defense-in-depth hardening for approval-bound node execution:
- reject symlink
cwdpaths for approval-boundsystem.run - canonicalize path-like executable argv before spawn
- bind CLI approval requests to exact
commandArgv
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-32043? CVE-2026-32043 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.2.24. It is fixed in 2026.2.25.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-32043? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.2.24 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32043? Yes. CVE-2026-32043 is fixed in 2026.2.25. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-32043 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32043 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-2026-32043 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-2026-32043? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.25 or later.