GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC

system.run env override sanitization allowed dangerous override-only helper-command pivots to reach subprocesses. A caller who could invoke system.run with env overrides could bypass allowlist/approval intent by steering an allowlisted tool through helper-command or config-loading environment variables such as GIT_SSH_COMMAND, editor/pager hooks, and GIT_CONFIG_* / NPM_CONFIG_*.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Latest published vulnerable version: 2026.3.2
• Affected range: <= 2026.3.2
• Patched in: 2026.3.7

Details

Before the fix, src/infra/host-env-security.ts blocked only a narrow set of override-only environment variables. Dangerous request-scoped overrides such as GIT_SSH_COMMAND and prefix families such as GIT_CONFIG_* and NPM_CONFIG_* could still survive sanitizeSystemRunEnvOverrides(...) / sanitizeHostExecEnv(...) and reach the spawned process.

That mattered for system.run allowlist and approval flows because approval evaluation was tied to the reviewed binary/argv, while the launched process could still inherit attacker-controlled env overrides that changed helper-command execution or config resolution. For allowlisted tools such as git, this allowed behavior outside the reviewed command semantics.

The fix extends the shared TypeScript and macOS policy to block dangerous override-only exact keys and prefixes while preserving trusted inherited base-environment behavior.

Fix Commit(s)

• e27bbe4982439da6864160fd1b66445058f74801

Release Process Note

npm 2026.3.7 was published on March 8, 2026. This advisory is fixed in the released package.

Thanks @tdjackey and @SnailSploit for reporting.

This is a real protection-bypass issue, but exploitation requires an already tool-enabled caller who can invoke system.run and supply env overrides. In affected deployments, that caller could bypass allowlist/approval intent and trigger helper-command execution or config-loading behavior that is not represented by the approved command line. Maintainer severity is set to medium because the bug still requires that existing execution capability; the vulnerability is the mismatch between reviewed command semantics and the actual spawned-process behavior.

GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). 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 (2026.3.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC? GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.3.2. It is fixed in 2026.3.7.
2. How severe is GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC? GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC has a CVSS score of 6.3 (Medium). 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 GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.3.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC? Yes. GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC is fixed in 2026.3.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC 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 GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC 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 GHSA-J425-WHC4-4JGC? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.3.7 or later.