The shell environment fallback path could invoke an attacker-controlled shell when SHELL was inherited from an untrusted host environment. In affected builds, shell-env loading used $SHELL -l -c 'env -0' without validating that SHELL points to a trusted executable.
In threat-model terms, this requires local environment compromise or untrusted startup environment injection first; it is not a remote pre-auth path. The hardening patch validates SHELL as an absolute normalized executable, prefers /etc/shells, applies trusted-prefix fallback checks, and falls back safely to /bin/sh when validation fails. The dangerous env-var policy now also blocks SHELL overrides.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw (npm)
- Affected versions:
<= 2026.2.21-2
- Latest published vulnerable version:
2026.2.21-2
- Patched versions (planned next release):
>= 2026.2.22
Fix Commit(s)
25e89cc86338ef475d26be043aa541dfdb95e52a
Release Process Note
The advisory pre-sets patched_versions to the planned next release (2026.2.22). After that npm release is published, maintainers can publish this advisory without further version-field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @athuljayaram for reporting.
References
athuljayaram Reporter
The shell environment fallback path could invoke an attacker-controlled shell when
SHELLwas inherited from an untrusted host environment. In affected builds, shell-env loading used$SHELL -l -c 'env -0'without validating thatSHELLpoints to a trusted executable.In threat-model terms, this requires local environment compromise or untrusted startup environment injection first; it is not a remote pre-auth path. The hardening patch validates
SHELLas an absolute normalized executable, prefers/etc/shells, applies trusted-prefix fallback checks, and falls back safely to/bin/shwhen validation fails. The dangerous env-var policy now also blocksSHELLoverrides.Affected Packages / Versions
openclaw(npm)<= 2026.2.21-22026.2.21-2>= 2026.2.22Fix Commit(s)
25e89cc86338ef475d26be043aa541dfdb95e52aRelease Process Note
The advisory pre-sets
patched_versionsto the planned next release (2026.2.22). After that npm release is published, maintainers can publish this advisory without further version-field edits.OpenClaw thanks @athuljayaram for reporting.
References