CVE-2026-28391
published 2026-03-05CVE-2026-28391: OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 fail to properly validate Windows cmd.exe metacharacters in allowlist-gated exec requests (non-default configuration)…
PriorityP266critical9.8CVSS 3.1
AVNACLPRNUINSUCHIHAH
EPSS
0.50%
39.0th percentile
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 fail to properly validate Windows cmd.exe metacharacters in allowlist-gated exec requests (non-default configuration), allowing attackers to bypass command approval restrictions. Remote attackers can craft command strings with shell metacharacters like & or %...% to execute unapproved commands beyond the allowlisted operations.
Affected
2 ranges
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| openclaw | openclaw | < 2026.2.2 | 2026.2.2 |
| openclaw | openclaw | >= 0 < 2026.2.2 | 2026.2.2 |
Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote
- →Look for exec requests containing Windows cmd.exe metacharacters such as '&' or '%...%' in command strings submitted to OpenClaw's allowlist-gated exec endpoint ↗
- ·This vulnerability only affects non-default configurations where the allowlist-gated exec feature is enabled; default deployments are not affected. ↗
- ·Affected versions are OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot or Clawdbot) prior to 2026.2.2; upgrading to 2026.2.2 or later remediates the issue. ↗
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvdv4.09.2CRITICALCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
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GHSA
OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
ghsa·2026-02-17
CVE-2026-28391 [HIGH] CWE-78 OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
### Summary
On Windows nodes, exec requests were executed via `cmd.exe /d /s /c `. In allowlist/approval-gated mode, the allowlist analysis did not model Windows `cmd.exe` parsing and metacharacter behavior. A crafted command string could cause `cmd.exe` to interpret additional operations (for example command chaining via `&`, or expansion via `%...%` / `!...!`) beyond what was allowlisted/approved.
### Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: `openclaw` (npm)
- Affected: `= 2026.2.2`
- Latest (npm) as of 2026-02-14: `2026.2.13`
### Details
- Default installs: Not affected unless you opt into exec allowlist/approval gating on Windows nodes.
- Windows execution uses `cmd.exe` via `src/infra/node-shell.ts`.
- T
OSV
OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
osv·2026-02-17
CVE-2026-28391 [HIGH] OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
OpenClaw's Windows cmd.exe parsing may bypass exec allowlist/approval gating
### Summary
On Windows nodes, exec requests were executed via `cmd.exe /d /s /c `. In allowlist/approval-gated mode, the allowlist analysis did not model Windows `cmd.exe` parsing and metacharacter behavior. A crafted command string could cause `cmd.exe` to interpret additional operations (for example command chaining via `&`, or expansion via `%...%` / `!...!`) beyond what was allowlisted/approved.
### Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: `openclaw` (npm)
- Affected: `= 2026.2.2`
- Latest (npm) as of 2026-02-14: `2026.2.13`
### Details
- Default installs: Not affected unless you opt into exec allowlist/approval gating on Windows nodes.
- Windows execution uses `cmd.exe` via `src/infra/node-shell.ts`.
- T
No detection rules found.
No public exploits indexed.
2026-03-05
Published