Executive brief
OpenClaw is a development tool that processes workspace configurations to set up CLI backend execution environments. An attacker can inject malicious environment variables through a crafted workspace config file, allowing them to modify the behavior of the CLI backend process and potentially execute arbitrary code or access sensitive data.
Technical details
This vulnerability is an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-4039 involving environment variable injection in the CLI backend runner. The root cause is insufficient sanitization of backend environment variables before spawning child processes from workspace configuration. An attacker with the ability to control or supply a malicious workspace config file can inject environment variables that will be passed to the CLI backend runner. This allows arbitrary modification of the execution environment, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or information disclosure. The vulnerability was patched in version 2026.3.24 by properly sanitizing backend environment variables before process spawning. All versions up to and including 2026.3.23-2 are affected; users should upgrade to 2026.3.24 or later.
Affected products
- OpenClaw openclaw <=2026.3.23-2
Timeline
- 2026-04-07: disclosed: GHSA-vfw7-6rhc-6xxg published
- 2026-03-24: patched: Fix committed and released in version 2026.3.24
- 2026-04-28: other: CVE-2026-41384 published on NVD