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CVE-2026-32023

MEDIUM

OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode

Published March 3, 2026Updated March 30, 2026Source: osv

Summary

### Summary A wrapper-depth parsing mismatch in `system.run` allowed nested transparent dispatch wrappers (for example repeated `/usr/bin/env`) to suppress shell-wrapper detection while still matching allowlist resolution. In `security=allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`, this could bypass the expected approval prompt for shell execution. ### Severity / Trust Model OpenClaw’s documented model treats authenticated gateway callers as trusted operators and exec approvals as operator guardrails. This issue is still a real approval-boundary bypass and is triaged as **Medium** in that model. ### Technical Details - Dispatch-wrapper unwrapping stopped at `MAX_DISPATCH_WRAPPER_DEPTH`. - Shell-wrapper extraction could return non-wrapper once depth was exhausted. - Allowlist resolution could still succeed on partially unwrapped argv beginning with `/usr/bin/env`. - Result: nested wrapper chains could execute `/bin/sh -c ...` without fresh approval in `allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published version at triage time: `2026.2.23` - Vulnerable versions: `<= 2026.2.23` - Patched versions (planned next release): `>= 2026.2.24` ### Fix Commit(s) - `57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b` ### Verification - Added regression coverage for depth-overflow wrapper chains at resolution and `system.run` invocation layers. - Reproduced previous PoC behavior before fix, then confirmed denial after fix with `SYSTEM_RUN_DENIED: approval required`. ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so once npm publish is complete, advisory publication can proceed without additional version edits. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting. ### Publication Update (2026-02-25) `openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm
Update openclaw to 2026.2.24 or later
npm install openclaw@2026.2.24

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

Affected Packages (1)

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
openclaw
npm
All versions2026.2.24

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32023?
OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode 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-2026-32023?
CVE-2026-32023 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-32023 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-ccg8-46r6-9qgj

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