Loading...
Skip to main content
GeekWala

CVE-2026-22177 — Vulnerability in openclaw — CVE Details

MEDIUM

OpenClaw's config env vars allowed startup env injection into service runtime

Published March 3, 2026Updated July 8, 2026Source: osv

Summary

### Summary OpenClaw allowed dangerous process-control environment variables from `env.vars` (for example `NODE_OPTIONS`, `LD_*`, `DYLD_*`) to flow into gateway service runtime environments, enabling startup-time code execution in the OpenClaw process context. ### Details `collectConfigEnvVars()` accepted unfiltered keys from config and those values were merged into the daemon install environment in `buildGatewayInstallPlan()`. Before the fix, startup-control variables were not blocked in this path. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published affected version: `2026.2.19-2` (published February 19, 2026) - Affected range (structured): `<=2026.2.19-2 || =2026.2.19` - Patched version (pre-set for next release): `>= 2026.2.21` ### Fix Commit(s) - `2cdbadee1f8fcaa93302d7debbfc529e19868ea4` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.21`). Once that npm release is published, this advisory is ready to publish without further content edits. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

Advisory Timeline

  • First published March 3, 2026 (223 days ago).
  • Last revised July 8, 2026 — 126 days after initial publication.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm
Update openclaw to 2026.2.21 or later
npm install openclaw@2026.2.21

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

Affects 1 ecosystem: npm (1).

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
openclaw
npm
All versions2026.2.21

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 8.8 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22177?
OpenClaw's config env vars allowed startup env injection into service runtime This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of MEDIUM (CVSS score: 8.8/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-22177?
CVE-2026-22177 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-22177 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
8.8

High exploitability or significant impact. Prioritize remediation within days.

Also Known As

GHSA-8fmp-37rc-p5g7

Related CVEs

  • CVE-2026-32922
    CRITICAL

    OpenClaw: Pairing-scoped device tokens could mint `operator.admin` and reach node RCE

  • CVE-2026-28466
    CRITICAL

    OpenClaw Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Node Invoke Approval Bypass in Gateway

  • CVE-2026-33579
    CRITICAL

    OpenClaw: /pair approve command path omitted caller scope subsetting and reopened device pairing escalation

  • CVE-2026-28363
    HIGH

    OpenClaw's tools.exec.safeBins sort long-option abbreviation bypass can skip exec approval in allowlist mode

  • CVE-2026-28470
    HIGH

    OpenClaw has an exec allowlist bypass via command substitution/backticks inside double quotes

  • CVE-2026-41386
    HIGH

    OpenClaw: Unbound bootstrap setup codes allow privilege escalation during pairing

  • CVE-2026-41378
    HIGH

    OpenClaw: Paired node escalates to gateway RCE via unrestricted node.event agent dispatch

  • CVE-2026-32010
    MEDIUM

    In OpenClaw, manually adding sort to tools.exec.safeBins could bypass allowlist approval via --compress-program

Check if you're affected

Scan your dependencies to see if this vulnerability affects your projects.

Scan Your Dependencies