Which versions of macOS are affected by CVE-2026-32016?

OpenClaw on macOS systems is vulnerable to local privilege escalation that allows attackers to execute unauthorized programs, bypassing security controls.. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-32016?

Within 24 hours: Inventory all macOS systems running OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 and disable exec-approval allowlist mode if operationally feasible. Within 7 days: Evaluate the business criticality of affected systems and implement network segmentation to restrict local access. Within 30 days: Contact OpenClaw vendor for patch availability timeline; if patch is released, plan and execute immediate deployment across all affected systems.

macOS CVE-2026-32016

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32016?

CVE-2026-32016 has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.3 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

HIGH

Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426)

2026-03-19 disclosure@vulncheck.com

GHSA-7f4q-9rqh-x36p

Apple Authentication Bypass macOS

7.3

CVSS 4.0 · NVD

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY

7.3 HIGH

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Lifecycle Timeline

Patch released

Mar 31, 2026 - 21:13 nvd

Patch available

Analysis Generated

Mar 19, 2026 - 22:30 vuln.today

CVE Published

Mar 19, 2026 - 22:16 nvd

HIGH 7.3

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 on macOS contain a path validation bypass vulnerability in the exec-approval allowlist mode that allows local attackers to execute unauthorized binaries by exploiting basename-only allowlist entries. Attackers can execute same-name local binaries ./echo without approval when security=allowlist and ask=on-miss are configured, bypassing intended path-based policy restrictions.

AnalysisAI

OpenClaw prior to version 2026.2.22 on macOS allows local attackers with user-level privileges to execute unauthorized binaries by bypassing path validation in the exec-approval allowlist mode through basename-only entries. An attacker can execute same-named local binaries without approval when the security allowlist policy is enabled, circumventing intended path-based restrictions. A patch is not currently available.

Technical ContextAI

OpenClaw is a security tool that provides execution approval mechanisms for binaries on macOS systems. The vulnerability stems from CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path), where the application fails to properly validate the full path of executables when matching against allowlist entries that contain only basenames. When configured in allowlist mode with ask=on-miss enabled, the application incorrectly matches executables based solely on their basename rather than their full path, allowing attackers to execute local binaries with the same name as allowed system binaries. This path traversal weakness undermines the intended security model of path-based execution policies.

RemediationAI

Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.2.22 or later, which contains the fix implemented in commit dd41fadcaf58fd9deb963d6e163c56161e7b35dd (https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/dd41fadcaf58fd9deb963d6e163c56161e7b35dd). Until patching is possible, review and update allowlist configurations to use full paths instead of basename-only entries, and consider temporarily disabling the ask=on-miss feature if security requirements permit. Organizations should audit their OpenClaw configurations to identify systems using the vulnerable allowlist mode and prioritize updates based on the sensitivity of the protected systems.