# CVE-2026-8634: openclaw Crabbox environment variable exposure via wildcard allowlist

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-8634-openclaw-crabbox-environment-variable-exposure-via-wildcard  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-14. Updated: 2026-07-14  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-8634 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-05-14

Crabbox, a tool used for managing remote command execution and development environments, contains a security flaw in how it handles local configuration files. An attacker who can convince a user to run Crabbox within a malicious or compromised code repository can automatically steal sensitive local information, such as API tokens, cloud credentials, and security keys. This occurs because the tool can be tricked into forwarding all of the user's private environment variables to a remote server controlled by the attacker.

Technologies: [github.com/openclaw/crabbox (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/github-com-openclaw-crabbox), [Openclaw Crabbox](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/crabbox). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go), [Openclaw](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/openclaw).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-8634 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-8634 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-8634?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 14 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** github.com/openclaw/crabbox (Go) < 0.12.0, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.12.0; Openclaw Crabbox < 0.12.0, < v0.12.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-8634?** Yes. github.com/openclaw/crabbox (Go): upgrade to 0.12.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-8634 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-8634?** Check whether you run github.com/openclaw/crabbox (Go) or Openclaw Crabbox at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- github.com/openclaw/crabbox (Go): upgrade to 0.12.0 or later

  ```sh
  go get github.com/openclaw/crabbox@v0.12.0
  ```


## Technical details

Crabbox prior to v0.12.0 contains an environment variable exposure vulnerability (CWE-94/CWE-200) due to improper validation of wildcard patterns in the environment allowlist. The root cause is in the `envAllowed()` function, which accepted a bare wildcard ('*') as a valid prefix. Because every environment variable name matches an empty prefix, this configuration causes the tool to serialize and forward the entire local `os.Environ()` to the remote command environment. An attacker can exploit this by committing a malicious `.crabbox.yaml` file to a repository; when an operator runs Crabbox within that repository, all local secrets are leaked to the remote lease. This was fixed in v0.12.0 by rejecting empty-prefix wildcards.

## Affected products

- openclaw Crabbox < 0.12.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-8634
- GHSA-fm77-94qm-4894
- GO-2026-5369

## Timeline

- 2026-05-11: patched: Fix merged in pull request 78
- 2026-05-12: advisory: Release v0.12.0 published
- 2026-05-14: disclosed: CVE-2026-8634 published

## References

- [https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/commit/eaae40ae4ce009e60633f16f7f19600c74557f6f](https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/commit/eaae40ae4ce009e60633f16f7f19600c74557f6f)
- [https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/pull/78](https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/pull/78)
- [https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/releases/tag/v0.12.0](https://github.com/openclaw/crabbox/releases/tag/v0.12.0)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/crabbox-environment-variable-information-disclosure](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/crabbox-environment-variable-information-disclosure)

## Related threats

- [Openclaw Crabbox privilege escalation in agent ticket endpoints](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-8629-openclaw-crabbox-privilege-escalation-in-agent-ticket-endpoints)
- [openclaw Crabbox authentication bypass via identity header spoofing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-8621-openclaw-crabbox-authentication-bypass-via-identity-header)
- [openclaw Crabbox path traversal in Islo provider workspace resolution](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45224-openclaw-crabbox-path-traversal-in-islo-provider-workspace)
- [Openclaw Crabbox authentication bypass in coordinator user-token verification](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-45223-openclaw-crabbox-authentication-bypass-in-coordinator-user-token)