Which versions of Openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-32971?

CVE-2026-32971 affects OpenClaw's node-host approval system, allowing authenticated users with low privileges to execute arbitrary code by exploiting a display mismatch between what operators approve…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-32971?

Within 24 hours: inventory all OpenClaw deployments and identify systems with node-host approval workflows; document current operator procedures and approval logs. Within 7 days: implement compensating control requiring dual-operator approval for all node-host commands and enable command-execution logging for forensic review; brief security and operations teams on attack mechanism. Within 30 days: contact OpenClaw vendor for patch availability timeline and risk assessment; establish monitoring to detect argv mismatches between displayed and executed commands.

Openclaw CVE-2026-32971

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32971?

CVE-2026-32971 has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.3 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/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%.

EUVD-2026-17379 HIGH

User Interface (UI) Misrepresentation of Critical Information (CWE-451)

2026-03-31 VulnCheck

GHSA-rw39-5899-8mxp

Information Disclosure Openclaw

7.3

CVSS 4.0 · NVD

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY

7.3 HIGH

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/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:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/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

Network

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

Scope

Lifecycle Timeline

Patch released

Apr 07, 2026 - 02:30 nvd

Patch available

EUVD ID Assigned

Mar 31, 2026 - 11:45 euvd

EUVD-2026-17379

Analysis Generated

Mar 31, 2026 - 11:45 vuln.today

CVE Published

Mar 31, 2026 - 11:17 nvd

HIGH 7.3

Blast Radius

ecosystem impact

† from your stack dependencies † transitive graph · vuln.today resolves 4-path depth

3 npm packages depend on openclaw (3 direct, 0 indirect)

Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 2026.3.11.

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains an approval-integrity vulnerability in node-host system.run approvals that displays extracted shell payloads instead of the executed argv. Attackers can place wrapper binaries and induce wrapper-shaped commands to execute local code after operators approve misleading command text.

AnalysisAI

Command substitution in OpenClaw's node-host approval system allows authenticated attackers with low privileges to execute arbitrary local code by deceiving operators through mismatched approval displays. The system shows extracted shell payloads during approval but executes different argv commands, enabling wrapper-binary attacks where approved commands differ from executed commands. Authentication is required (PR:L) with high attack complexity (AC:H) and user interaction (UI:R). No public exploit identified at time of analysis, though the vulnerability class (CWE-451: UI Misrepresentation of Critical Information) indicates the technical mechanism is well-understood.

Technical ContextAI

This vulnerability exploits CWE-451 (UI Misrepresentation of Critical Information) in OpenClaw's command approval workflow within the node-host system.run function. The flaw creates a critical trust boundary violation where the approval interface parses and displays shell payload content differently from how the underlying execution engine interprets argv parameters. Attackers can craft wrapper binaries that appear benign during the approval stage but execute malicious commands post-approval. The affected product is OpenClaw (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw), a system that appears to implement operator-controlled command execution with approval gates. The vulnerability specifically targets environments where operators rely on visual approval of commands before execution, making the displayed command text a critical security control that has been compromised. This represents a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) variant where the checked artifact (displayed text) differs from the used artifact (executed command).

RemediationAI

Immediate remediation requires upgrading to OpenClaw version 2026.3.11 or later, which addresses the approval-integrity vulnerability in the node-host system.run function. Organizations should prioritize this upgrade in environments where OpenClaw manages privileged operations or critical infrastructure. Consult the official GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rw39-5899-8mxp for vendor-specific upgrade guidance and any additional security hardening recommendations. Until patching is complete, implement compensating controls including enhanced operator training on command approval verification, mandatory secondary review for sensitive command executions, restricted user permissions to minimize the pool of potential authenticated attackers (addressing PR:L requirement), and audit logging of all approved versus executed commands to detect exploitation attempts. Consider temporarily disabling node-host system.run functionality in non-critical environments until upgrade completion. Review historical approval logs for discrepancies between displayed and executed commands to identify potential prior exploitation. The VulnCheck advisory at https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-node-host-approval-ui-mismatch-allows-execution-of-unintended-commands may provide additional technical mitigation strategies. Post-upgrade, validate that command approval displays match executed argv parameters through controlled testing.