AI agent vulnerability · OpenClaw

CVE-2026-41294: OpenClaw has a CWD `.env` environment variable injection which bypasses host-env policy and allows config takeover

criticalCVSS 3.1 9.6GHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq

Summary OpenClaw loaded the current working directory .env before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing untrusted workspace state to inject host environment values. Impact A repository or workspace containing a malicious .env file could override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings when OpenClaw started there.

Published Apr 1, 2026 · Updated Apr 20, 2026

Affected packages

openclaw

Ecosystem: npm
Affected: <= 2026.3.24
Fixed in: 2026.3.28
Check: npm ls openclaw

Advisory details

From the GitHub Advisory Database (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

OpenClaw loaded the current working directory .env before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing untrusted workspace state to inject host environment values.

Impact

A repository or workspace containing a malicious .env file could override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings when OpenClaw started there.

Affected Component

src/infra/dotenv.ts, src/cli/dotenv.ts

Fixed Versions

Affected: <= 2026.3.24
Patched: >= 2026.3.28
Latest stable 2026.3.28 contains the fix.

Fix

Fixed by commit 6a79324802 (Filter untrusted CWD .env entries before OpenClaw startup).

Credited to tdjackey.

References

How this page is made: the data panel comes from the GitHub Advisory Database, CISA’s KEV catalog, the NVD and FIRST EPSS, and updates twice a day. No analysis has been written for this entry yet. Methodology

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