CVE-2026-4040: OpenClaw safeBins file-existence oracle information disclosure

An information disclosure vulnerability in OpenClaw's tools.exec.safeBins approval flow allowed a file-existence oracle.

When safe-bin validation examined candidate file paths, command allow/deny behavior could differ based on whether a path already existed on the host filesystem. An attacker could probe for file presence by comparing outcomes for existing vs non-existing filenames.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected versions: <= 2026.2.17
• Latest published vulnerable version at triage time: 2026.2.17
• Planned patched version: 2026.2.18

Impact

Attackers with access to this execution surface could infer whether specific files exist (for example secrets/config files), enabling filesystem enumeration and improving follow-on attack planning.

Fix

The safe-bin policy was changed to deterministic argv-only validation without host file-existence checks. File-oriented flags are blocked for safe-bin mode (for example sort -o, jq -f, grep -f), and trusted-path checks remain enforced.

Fix Commit(s)

• bafdbb6f112409a65decd3d4e7350fbd637c7754

Found using MCPwner

Thanks @nedlir for reporting.