CVE-2026-53829 — openclaw
CVE-2026-53829 is a CWE-451 vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenClaw < 2026.5.18 - Command Truncation in Exec Approval Display
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-2026-53829.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
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.
openclawnpmDescription
Summary
OpenClaw exec approvals could show a shortened command in the approval UI while keeping the full original command for execution. For very long commands, an approver could see and approve a benign-looking prefix while a hidden suffix remained part of the command that would run after approval.
This issue affects the approval display and binding for oversized exec commands. It does not make exec available to unauthenticated users, and it does not change OpenClaw's local-first trust model.
Affected configurations
This affects deployments where exec approval is enabled and an authenticated caller can create a pending host exec request with a command long enough to be truncated in the approval view.
Impact
An approver could make a decision from incomplete command text. If the hidden suffix contained additional shell operations, those operations could run after the approval was resolved.
The practical impact depends on who can request exec approvals and who is allowed to approve them. The issue is an approval integrity problem: the approval surface did not faithfully represent the command that would execute.
Patched Versions
The first stable patched version is 2026.5.18.
Mitigations
Upgrade to [email protected] or later. Before upgrading, avoid approving unusually long exec commands and keep approval capability limited to trusted operators.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.5.18npm install openclaw@2026.5.18 |
Affected Products
openclawopenclawDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
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 2026.5.18 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-53829 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
Is CVE-2026-53829 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.