Summary
OpenClaw's system.run shell-wrapper positional argv carriers could execute hidden commands under misleading approval text
In openclaw up to and including 2026.2.23 (latest npm release as of February 25, 2026), system.run shell-wrapper inputs could present misleading approval/display text while still carrying hidden positional argv payloads that execute at runtime.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected:
<= 2026.2.23 - Patched:
>= 2026.2.24(planned next release)
Root Cause
For shell-wrapper forms (for example /bin/sh -c ...), command-text binding could focus on inline shell payload text while runtime execution still used the full argv vector. Positional argv carriers after the inline payload could therefore be executed under incomplete display context.
Security Impact
Approval/display context could omit executed argv carriers, enabling hidden command execution under misleading operator-visible text.
Verification
pnpm checkpnpm exec vitest run --config vitest.gateway.config.tspnpm test:fastpnpm vitest run src/infra/system-run-command.test.ts src/node-host/invoke-system-run.test.ts src/cli/nodes-cli.coverage.test.ts src/gateway/node-invoke-system-run-approval.test.tscd apps/macos && swift test --filter ExecSystemRunCommandValidatorTests
Fix Commit(s)
0f0a680d3df81739ea5088a2f88e65f938b7936b55cf92578d266987e390c4bf688196af98eac748
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.24) so after npm publish the advisory can be published without further field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Publication Update (2026-02-25)
[email protected] is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks >= 2026.2.24 as patched.
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
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
- Detect shell-wrapper inline-command forms that carry trailing positional argv values.
- Bind approval/display command text to full formatted argv for those carrier forms.
- Reject payload-only
rawCommandvalues when they do not match the execution-bound argv context for those forms. - Forward canonical command display text to the macOS companion exec host and validate
rawCommand/argv consistency there for carrier wrappers and env-modifier shell preludes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-32052? CVE-2026-32052 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.2.23. It is fixed in 2026.2.24. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-32052? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.2.23 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32052? Yes. CVE-2026-32052 is fixed in 2026.2.24. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-32052 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32052 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-2026-32052 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-2026-32052? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.24 or later.