OpenClaw's tools.exec.safeBins sort long-option abbreviation bypass can skip exec approval in allowlist modeGHSA-3c6h-g97w-fg78
HIGHFix: openclaw/openclaw@3b8e330GHSA-3c6h-g97w-fg78 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-184 vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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 GHSA-3c6h-g97w-fg78.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
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
In OpenClaw, tools.exec.safeBins validation for sort could be bypassed via GNU long-option abbreviations in allowlist mode, allowing approval-free execution paths that should require approval.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Ecosystem: npm
- Package:
openclaw - Latest published version checked:
2026.2.22-2 - Affected range:
<= 2026.2.22-2 - Fixed version:
2026.2.23
Impact
When all of the following are true:
tools.exec.security=allowlisttools.exec.ask=on-misstools.exec.safeBinsincludessort
abbreviated GNU long options (for example --compress-prog) could bypass denied-flag checks and be treated as allowlist-satisfied safe-bin usage, skipping approval.
Root Cause
Long-option handling matched denied flags by exact string and accepted unknown long options with inline values instead of failing closed.
Fix Commit(s)
3b8e33037ae2e12af7beb56fcf0346f1f8cbde6f
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the released version (2026.2.23). This advisory now reflects released fix version 2026.2.23.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.2.23npm install openclaw@2026.2.23 |
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 2026.2.23 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3c6h-g97w-fg78 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 GHSA-3c6h-g97w-fg78 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.