Arbitrary command execution via executable rebind
Published Mar 19, 2026 · Updated Mar 19, 2026
TOCTOU in OpenClaw system.run approvals before 2026.3.1 allows local users to execute arbitrary commands through PATH-token rebinding. For host=node runs, approval validates command context but leaves a non-path-like argv[0] token unresolved until execution, so changed PATH resolution selects another binary. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, control over PATH resolution after an operator approves the action, and operator interaction; the substituted binary runs with the approved action's authority.
Summary
What happened
TOCTOU in OpenClaw system.run approvals before 2026.3.1 allows local users to execute arbitrary commands through PATH-token rebinding. For host=node runs, approval validates command context but leaves a non-path-like argv[0] token unresolved until execution, so changed PATH resolution selects another binary. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access, control over PATH resolution after an operator approves the action, and operator interaction; the substituted binary runs with the approved action's authority.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-31997
- Published
- Mar 19, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 19, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-426, CWE-367, T1574.007
- Attack vector
- local
- 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 <2026.3.1
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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