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OpenClaw shell-env fallback trusted startup env and could execute attacker-influenced login-shell pathsGHSA-5h2c-8v84-qpvr

MEDIUMFix: openclaw/openclaw@9363c32

GHSA-5h2c-8v84-qpvr is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Published
Updated
Affected
1 pkg
Patched
1 / 1
Exploits
None indexed
Exploitation data as of Mar 4, 2026 · OSV.dev, 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
2.4Mdownloads / week

Description

Summary

OpenClaw shell-env fallback trusted startup environment values and could execute attacker-influenced login-shell startup paths before loading env keys.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: openclaw (npm)
  • Affected versions: >= 2026.1.5 and <= 2026.2.21-2
  • Fixed on main: 9363c320d8ffe29290906752fab92621da02c3f7
  • Planned patched release version (pre-set): 2026.2.22

Details

The vulnerable chain was in the shell-env fallback path:

  1. src/infra/shell-env.ts
  • resolveShell(env) trusted env.SHELL when set.
  • execLoginShellEnvZero(...) executed ${SHELL} -l -c "env -0" with inherited runtime env.
  1. src/config/io.ts
  • Config env values were applied before shell fallback execution.
  1. src/config/env-vars.ts / env policy coverage
  • SHELL handling was hardened, but startup-path selectors (HOME, ZDOTDIR) still needed explicit blocking in config env ingestion and sanitization for shell fallback execution.

With env/config influence, this could trigger unintended command execution in shell startup processing on the OpenClaw host process context.

Fix

Mainline hardening now:

  • blocks SHELL, HOME, and ZDOTDIR during config env ingestion used by runtime fallback,
  • sanitizes shell fallback execution env, pinning HOME to the real user home and dropping ZDOTDIR + dangerous startup vars,
  • adds regression tests for config env ingestion and shell fallback/path-probe sanitization.

Fix Commit(s)

  • 9363c320d8ffe29290906752fab92621da02c3f7

Impact

  • Local code-execution risk in environments where attacker-controlled env/config input can reach shell-env fallback.
  • Under OpenClaw trust assumptions (SECURITY.md), this is not a public-remote issue and depends on crossing local trusted-operator boundaries.

Release Process Note

patched_versions is intentionally pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.22) so once npm release is out, maintainers can publish advisory immediately.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed
EcosystemPackageVulnerable rangeFix
📦npmopenclawall versions2026.2.22npm install openclaw@2026.2.22

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

  1. 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.

  2. Fix

    Update openclaw to 2026.2.22 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5h2c-8v84-qpvr is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

  3. 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 OpenClaw shell-env fallback trusted startup environment values and could execute attacker-influenced login-shell startup paths before loading env keys. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `>= 2026.1.5` and `<= 2026.2.21-2` - Fixed on `main`: `9363c320d8ffe29290906752fab92621da02c3f7` - Planned patched release version (pre-set): `2026.2.22` ### Details The vulnerable chain was in the shell-env fallback path: 1. `src/infra/shell-env.ts` - `resolveShell(env)` trusted `env.SHELL` when set. - `execLoginShellEnvZero(...)` executed `${SHELL
O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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