OpenClaw's system.run allowlist approval parsing missed PowerShell encoded-command wrappersGHSA-3h2q-j2v4-6w5r
MEDIUMFix: openclaw/openclaw@1d1757bGHSA-3h2q-j2v4-6w5r is a medium-severity (CVSS 5) vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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
OpenClaw's system.run shell-wrapper detection did not recognize PowerShell -EncodedCommand forms as inline-command wrappers.
In allowlist mode, a caller with access to system.run could invoke pwsh or powershell using -EncodedCommand, -enc, or -e, and the request would fall back to plain argv analysis instead of the normal shell-wrapper approval path. This could allow a PowerShell inline payload to execute without the approval step that equivalent -Command invocations would require.
Latest published npm version: 2026.3.2
Fixed on main on March 7, 2026 in 1d1757b16f48f1a93cd16ab0ad7e2c3c63ce727d by recognizing PowerShell encoded-command aliases during shell-wrapper parsing, so allowlist mode continues to require approval for those payloads. Normal approved PowerShell wrapper flows continue to work.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected versions:
<= 2026.3.2 - Patched version:
>= 2026.3.7
Fix Commit(s)
1d1757b16f48f1a93cd16ab0ad7e2c3c63ce727d
Release Process Note
npm 2026.3.7 was published on March 8, 2026. This advisory is fixed in the released package.
Thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.3.7npm install openclaw@2026.3.7 |
Detection & 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 2026.3.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-3h2q-j2v4-6w5r 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-3h2q-j2v4-6w5r in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.