How severe is CVE-2026-43531?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-43531 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-43531?

CVE-2026-43531 affects the following packages: openclaw (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix CVE-2026-43531?

Update openclaw to 2026.4.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-43531 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-43531 in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-43531 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2026-43531 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-43531 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-43531?

CVE-2026-43531 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.2%, placing it in the 10th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-43531?

CVE-2026-43531 is classified as CWE-15 (CWE-15). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2026-43531 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-43531 was published on May 5, 2026 and was last updated on October 28, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2026-43531 — openclaw

Fix: openclaw/openclaw@dbfcef3

CVE-2026-43531 is a CWE-15 vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.

OpenClaw < 2026.4.9 - Environment Variable Injection via Workspace .env File

Also known asGHSA-7wv4-cc7p-jhxc

Published

May 5, 2026

Updated

Oct 28, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 5, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-43531.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs10th percentile — riskier than 10% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.

133other npm packages depend on this — each one inherits the vulnerability until it's patched upstream

openclawnpm

2.5Mdownloads / week

Description

Summary

Workspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables.

Affected Packages / Versions

Package: openclaw
Ecosystem: npm
Affected versions: < 2026.4.9
Patched versions: >= 2026.4.9

Impact

A malicious workspace .env file could set OpenClaw runtime-control variables affecting update sources, gateway URLs, ClawHub resolution, browser executable paths, and related behavior.

Technical Details

The fix blocks OpenClaw runtime-control keys and key families from workspace .env loading.

Fix

The issue was fixed in #62660. The first stable tag containing the fix is v2026.4.9, and [email protected] includes the fix.

Fix Commit(s)

dbfcef319618158fa40b31cdac386ea34c392c0c
PR: #62660

Release Process Note

Users should upgrade to openclaw 2026.4.9 or newer. The latest npm release, 2026.4.14, already includes the fix.

Credits

Thanks to @zsxsoft, with sponsorship from @KeenSecurityLab for reporting this issue.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`openclaw`	all versions	2026.4.9`npm install openclaw@2026.4.9`

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

openclawopenclaw

< 2026.4.9

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update openclaw to 2026.4.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-43531 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

## Summary Workspace .env could inject OpenClaw runtime-control variables. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` - Ecosystem: npm - Affected versions: `< 2026.4.9` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.9` ## Impact A malicious workspace `.env` file could set OpenClaw runtime-control variables affecting update sources, gateway URLs, ClawHub resolution, browser executable paths, and related behavior. ## Technical Details The fix blocks OpenClaw runtime-control keys and key families from workspace `.env` loading. ## Fix The issue was fixed in #62660. The first stable tag contain

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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