CVE-2026-41294

CRITICAL

OpenClaw has a CWD `.env` environment variable injection which bypasses host-env policy and allows config takeover

Published April 1, 2026Updated April 20, 2026Source: osv

Summary

## Summary OpenClaw loaded the current working directory `.env` before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing untrusted workspace state to inject host environment values. ## Impact A repository or workspace containing a malicious `.env` file could override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings when OpenClaw started there. ## Affected Component `src/infra/dotenv.ts, src/cli/dotenv.ts` ## Fixed Versions - Affected: `<= 2026.3.24` - Patched: `>= 2026.3.28` - Latest stable `2026.3.28` contains the fix. ## Fix Fixed by commit `6a79324802` (`Filter untrusted CWD .env entries before OpenClaw startup`).

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

npm

Update openclaw to 2026.3.28 or later

npm install openclaw@2026.3.28

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

Affected Packages (1)

Package	Ecosystem	Affected	Fixed In
openclaw	npm	All versions	2026.3.28

Vulnerability Classification

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

CWE-426
View on MITRE

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.6 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

Required

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

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

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41294?: OpenClaw has a CWD `.env` environment variable injection which bypasses host-env policy and allows config takeover This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.6/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-41294?: CVE-2026-41294 affects openclaw. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-41294 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score

9.6

Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.

Also Known As

GHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-32013
CRITICAL
OpenClaw gateway agents.files symlink escape allowed out-of-workspace file read/write
CVE-2026-28454
CRITICAL
OpenClaw has a potential access-group authorization bypass if channel type lookup fails
CVE-2026-35625
CRITICAL
OpenClaw: Silent privilege escalation via gateway shared-auth reconnect
CVE-2026-44109
CRITICAL
OpenClaw: Feishu webhook and card-action validation now fail closed
CVE-2026-43530
HIGH
OpenClaw: busybox and toybox applet execution weakened exec approval binding
CVE-2026-35643
HIGH
OpenClaw: Arbitrary code execution via unvalidated WebView JavascriptInterface
CVE-2026-42422
MEDIUM
OpenClaw `device.token.rotate` mints tokens for unapproved roles, bypassing device role-upgrade pairing
CVE-2026-32038
MEDIUM
OpenClaw has a sandbox network isolation bypass via docker.network=container:<id>

Check if you're affected

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

Scan Your Dependencies