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GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6

GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6: OpenClaw: Command hijacking via unsafe PATH handling (bootstrapping + node-host PATH overrides)

Command hijacking via PATH handling

Discovered: 2026-02-04 Reporter: @akhmittra

Summary

OpenClaw previously accepted untrusted PATH sources in limited situations. In affected versions, this could cause OpenClaw to resolve and execute an unintended binary ("command hijacking") when running host commands.

This issue primarily matters when OpenClaw is relying on allowlist/safe-bin protections and expects PATH to be trustworthy.

Affected Packages / Versions

Package: openclaw (npm)
Affected: < 2026.2.14
Patched: >= 2026.2.14 (planned next release)

What Is Required To Trigger This

A) Node Host PATH override (remote command hijack)

An attacker needs all of the following:

Authenticated/authorized access to an execution surface that can invoke node-host execution (for example, a compromised gateway or a caller that can issue system.run).
A node host connected and exposing system.run.
A configuration where allowlist/safe-bins are expected to restrict execution (this is not meaningful if full arbitrary exec is already allowed).
The ability to pass request-scoped environment overrides (specifically PATH) into system.run.
A way to place an attacker-controlled executable earlier in PATH (for example, a writable directory on the node host), with a name that matches an allowlisted/safe-bin command that OpenClaw will run.

Notes:

OpenClaw deployments commonly require a gateway token/password (or equivalent transport authentication). This should not be treated as unauthenticated Internet RCE.
This scenario typically depends on non-standard / misconfigured deployments (for example, granting untrusted parties access to invoke node-host execution or otherwise exposing a privileged execution surface beyond the intended trust boundary).

B) Project-local PATH bootstrapping (local command hijack)

An attacker needs all of the following:

The victim runs OpenClaw from within an attacker-controlled working directory (for example, cloning and running inside a malicious repository).
That directory contains a node_modules/.bin/openclaw and additional attacker-controlled executables in the same directory.
OpenClaw subsequently executes a command by name (resolved via PATH) that matches one of those attacker-controlled executables.

Fix

Project-local node_modules/.bin PATH bootstrapping is now disabled by default. If explicitly enabled, it is append-only (never prepended) via OPENCLAW_ALLOW_PROJECT_LOCAL_BIN=1.
Node Host now ignores request-scoped PATH overrides.

Fix Commit(s)

013e8f6b3be3333a229a066eef26a45fec47ffcc

Thanks @akhmittra for reporting.

(GitHub Advisory)

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GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6

GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6:

8.8

CVSS Score

3.1

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Technical Details

Package Name	Ecosystem	Vulnerable Versions	First Patched Version
openclaw	npm	< 2026.2.14	2026.2.14

Technical Details

Vulnerability Intelligence
Miggo AI

Root Cause Analysis

The vulnerability stems from two distinct issues related to unsafe handling of the PATH environment variable, leading to command hijacking. The analysis of the provided patch (013e8f6b3be3333a229a066eef26a45fec47ffcc) reveals the exact functions responsible.

Remote Command Hijacking: The function sanitizeEnv in src/node-host/invoke.ts improperly handled PATH overrides from remote callers. It contained logic that allowed certain modifications to the PATH variable. An attacker could exploit this to prepend a path to a malicious binary, causing subsequent command executions within the Node Host to be hijacked. The patch rectifies this by completely ignoring any PATH overrides from remote requests.
Local Command Hijacking: The function ensureOpenClawCliOnPath in src/infra/path-env.ts was designed to make the openclaw CLI accessible by modifying the PATH. It did so by prepending the node_modules/.bin directory of the current working directory to the system's PATH. When a user executed openclaw within a malicious repository, this feature could be abused to execute a counterfeit openclaw script or any other command placed in that directory. The patch addresses this by making this feature opt-in and changing the behavior from prepending to appending, which is a safer default.

Functions like createAcpClient in src/acp/client.ts were part of the vulnerable execution flow as they called ensureOpenClawCliOnPath and then used spawn to run a command, making them susceptible to the PATH manipulation.

In summary, the identified functions (sanitizeEnv, ensureOpenClawCliOnPath, createAcpClient) are the key runtime indicators of this vulnerability. Monitoring their execution, especially with untrusted inputs or in untrusted environments, would be critical for detecting exploitation attempts.

Vulnerable functions

sanitizeEnv

src/node-host/invoke.ts

The `sanitizeEnv` function in the vulnerable version allowed for request-scoped overrides of the `PATH` environment variable. An attacker with the ability to provide environment overrides could manipulate the `PATH` to point to a directory containing a malicious executable. When OpenClaw later executed a command, it could resolve to the attacker's executable instead of the intended one, leading to command hijacking. The patch completely removes the logic that allows `PATH` overrides.

ensureOpenClawCliOnPath

src/infra/path-env.ts

This function was responsible for modifying the `PATH` environment variable to ensure the `openclaw` CLI is findable. In the vulnerable version, it would prepend the project's local `node_modules/.bin` directory to the `PATH`. If a user ran `openclaw` from within a malicious or compromised project directory, this behavior could be abused to execute a malicious binary placed in that local `.bin` directory, leading to local command hijacking. The patch changes this behavior to be opt-in and appends the path instead of prepending it.

createAcpClient

src/acp/client.ts

This function spawns an Agent Client Protocol (ACP) server. It calls `ensureOpenClawCliOnPath`, which could poison the `PATH`, and then uses `spawn` to execute the `openclaw` command. Because `spawn` relies on the `PATH` to resolve the command, a manipulated `PATH` could cause it to execute a malicious binary. The patch mitigates this by resolving the path to the current executable directly, avoiding reliance on the `PATH` variable for spawning the server process.

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WAF Rule

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Reasoning

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GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6: OpenClaw: Command hijacking via unsafe PATH handling (bootstrapping + node-host PATH overrides)

Command hijacking via PATH handling

Summary

Affected Packages / Versions

What Is Required To Trigger This

A) Node Host PATH override (remote command hijack)

B) Project-local PATH bootstrapping (local command hijack)

Fix

Fix Commit(s)

GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6:

8.8

-

Basic Information

Basic Information

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Technical Details

Technical Details

Vulnerability IntelligenceMiggo AI

Root Cause Analysis

Vulnerable functions

Vulnerability IntelligenceMiggo AI

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WAF Protection Rules

WAF Rule

Reasoning

8.8

8.8

Technical Details

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Vulnerable functions

Basic Information

Basic Information

GHSA-jqpq-mgvm-f9r6: OpenClaw: Command hijacking via unsafe PATH handling (bootstrapping + node-host PATH overrides)

Command hijacking via PATH handling

Summary

Affected Packages / Versions

What Is Required To Trigger This

A) Node Host PATH override (remote command hijack)

B) Project-local PATH bootstrapping (local command hijack)

Fix

Fix Commit(s)

Vulnerability Intelligence
Miggo AI

Vulnerability Intelligence
Miggo AI

Vulnerability Intelligence
Miggo AI