Summary
OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
< 2026.4.20 - Patched version:
2026.4.20
Release
Fixed in OpenClaw 2026.4.20.
Impact
Workspace MCP stdio configuration could pass dangerous process-startup environment variables such as NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to the spawned MCP server process. In a malicious workspace, this could make the MCP child load attacker-controlled code when the operator starts a session that uses that MCP server.
The impact is limited to local/workspace trust boundaries and requires the operator to run OpenClaw in a workspace containing the malicious MCP configuration. Severity is therefore medium, not high/critical.
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
OpenClaw now filters MCP stdio environment entries through the host environment safety denylist before spawning stdio MCP servers.
Fix commits:
62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44995? CVE-2026-44995 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.4.20. It is fixed in 2026.4.20.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-44995? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.4.20 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44995? Yes. CVE-2026-44995 is fixed in 2026.4.20. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44995 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44995 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-2026-44995 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-2026-44995? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.4.20 or later.