Authenticated shell execution via wrapper-depth approval bypass
Published Mar 19, 2026 · Updated Mar 19, 2026
Incorrect authorization in OpenClaw before 2026.2.24 allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands without approval. The system.run resolver stops unwrapping transparent dispatch wrappers at a depth cap, yet partially unwrapped /usr/bin/env arguments still satisfy the allowlist and conceal a nested /bin/sh -c payload from shell-wrapper detection. Exploitation requires an authenticated gateway caller and security=allowlist plus ask=on-miss, after which commands run with the OpenClaw process's host privileges.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in OpenClaw before 2026.2.24 allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands without approval. The system.run resolver stops unwrapping transparent dispatch wrappers at a depth cap, yet partially unwrapped /usr/bin/env arguments still satisfy the allowlist and conceal a nested /bin/sh -c payload from shell-wrapper detection. Exploitation requires an authenticated gateway caller and security=allowlist plus ask=on-miss, after which commands run with the OpenClaw process's host privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-32023
- Published
- Mar 19, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 19, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-863, CWE-284, 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
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <2026.2.24
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
- Nested env-wrapper approval-bypass reproductionproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo