Vulnerability Database

328,409

Total vulnerabilities in the database

OpenClaw Node system.run approval context-binding weakness in approval-enabled host=node flows

Summary

In approval-enabled host=node workflows, system.run approvals did not always carry a strict, versioned execution-context binding. In uncommon setups that rely on these approvals as an integrity guardrail, a previously approved request could be reused with changed env input.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: npm openclaw
  • Latest published npm version at triage: 2026.2.25
  • Affected range: <= 2026.2.25
  • Planned fixed version (next npm release): 2026.2.26

Preconditions / Typical Exposure

This requires all of the following:

  • system.run usage through host=node
  • Exec approvals enabled and used as an execution-integrity control
  • Access to an approval id in the same context

Most default single-operator local setups do not rely on this path, so practical exposure is typically lower.

Details

Approval matching now uses a required versioned binding (systemRunBindingV1) over command argv, cwd, agent/session context, and env hash.

The fix:

  • Requires commandArgv when requesting host=node approvals.
  • Requires systemRunBindingV1 when consuming approvals for node system.run.
  • Removes legacy non-versioned fallback matching and fails closed on missing/mismatched bindings.
  • Keeps env mismatch handling explicit and blocks GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF in host env policy.
  • Adds/updates regression and contract coverage for mismatch mapping and binding rules.

Impact

Configuration-dependent approval-integrity weakness in node-host exec approval flows. Severity remains medium because exploitation depends on this specific approval mode and context.

Fix Commit(s)

  • 10481097f8e6dd0346db9be0b5f27570e1bdfcfa

Release Process Note

patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.26) so once npm release 2026.2.26 is published, the advisory can be published without further metadata edits.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: Unknown
  • Score:
  • AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

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