Authenticated command execution via split shell substitution
Published Mar 19, 2026 · Updated Mar 19, 2026
Command injection in OpenClaw before 2026.2.22 allows remote authenticated users to execute non-allowlisted commands through system.run. The allowlist analyzer accepts a dollar sign, backslash-newline, and opening parenthesis inside double quotes, while the shell folds them into executable command substitution. Exposure requires tools.exec.security=allowlist with ask set to on-miss or off, allowing commands to cross the configured approval boundary.
Summary
What happened
Command injection in OpenClaw before 2026.2.22 allows remote authenticated users to execute non-allowlisted commands through system.run. The allowlist analyzer accepts a dollar sign, backslash-newline, and opening parenthesis inside double quotes, while the shell folds them into executable command substitution. Exposure requires tools.exec.security=allowlist with ask set to on-miss or off, allowing commands to cross the configured approval boundary.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-28460
- Published
- Mar 19, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 19, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-78, CWE-863, T1059.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 19, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 19, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <2026.2.22
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- OpenClaw shell line-continuation regression payloadproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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