Executive brief
OpenClaw is a Node.js package used for executing shell commands and wrapper scripts on Windows. A vulnerability in wrapper resolution for batch files (.cmd/.bat) allows attackers to manipulate command execution by controlling the current working directory, potentially leading to unintended commands being executed with application privileges.
Technical details
The vulnerability exists in OpenClaw's wrapper resolution mechanism on Windows ACPX paths. When resolving .cmd/.bat file wrappers, the code contains an OS command injection weakness (CWE-78) that allows current working directory (cwd) manipulation to influence which commands are executed. The attack requires local file system access and the ability to influence the cwd during wrapper resolution. An attacker can exploit this to achieve command execution integrity loss by controlling the current working directory to cause the shell fallback mechanism to execute unintended commands. The vulnerability affects versions 2026.2.26 through 2026.3.0; it was patched in version 2026.3.1 by implementing strict PATH/PATHEXT entrypoint resolution and explicit fail-closed handling for unresolvable wrappers.
Affected products
- OpenClaw openclaw >= 2026.2.26, < 2026.3.1
Timeline
- 2026-03-02: disclosed
- 2026-03-01: patched: Version 2026.3.1 released with patch