AI agent vulnerability · OpenClaw

CVE-2026-44114: OpenClaw: Workspace dotenv could override runtime-control environment variables

highCVSS 4.0 8.5 · 3.1 7.8GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3

Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected versions: < 2026.4.20 - Patched version: 2026.4.20 Impact Workspace .env loading did not reserve the OPENCLAW runtime-control namespace broadly enough. A malicious workspace could set variables such as OPENCLAWGITDIR before source-update or installer flows, potentially steering trusted OpenClaw runtime behavior.

Published Apr 25, 2026 · Updated May 12, 2026

Affected packages

openclaw

Ecosystem: npm
Affected: < 2026.4.20
Fixed in: 2026.4.20
Check: npm ls openclaw

Advisory details

From the GitHub Advisory Database (CC BY 4.0).

Affected Packages / Versions

Package: openclaw (npm)
Affected versions: < 2026.4.20
Patched version: 2026.4.20

Impact

Workspace .env loading did not reserve the OPENCLAW_ runtime-control namespace broadly enough. A malicious workspace could set variables such as OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR before source-update or installer flows, potentially steering trusted OpenClaw runtime behavior.

This requires running OpenClaw from an attacker-controlled workspace. Severity is medium.

Fix

OpenClaw now reserves the workspace OPENCLAW_ environment namespace and rejects workspace dotenv entries for OpenClaw runtime-control variables.

Fix commit:

018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6

Release

Fixed in OpenClaw 2026.4.20.

Credited to foodlook.

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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