Openclaw CVE-2026-32979

Requires local access to OpenClaw before version 2026.3.11 with low-privilege user account. Attacker must modify approved local scripts between approval and execution when exact file binding cannot occur. Victim interaction needed to approve and execute the script.

Real-world risk assessment reveals moderate-to-high concern despite the 7.0 CVSS score. The CVSS 4.0 vector shows low attack complexity (AC:L) and low privileges required (PR:L), making exploitation straightforward for any local authenticated user, though user interaction (UI:P) provides partial friction. The vulnerability enables complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise of the vulnerable component (VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) with no subsequent system impact (SC:N/SI:N/SA:N), indicating the blast radius remains contained to the OpenClaw runtime context. The local attack vector (AV:L) significantly limits exposure compared to network-accessible vulnerabilities, requiring prior system access. Without EPSS data or confirmed exploitation (no KEV listing), determining active targeting probability proves difficult. However, the RCE classification combined with trivial exploitation complexity elevates priority for environments where OpenClaw processes untrusted scripts or operates with elevated privileges. Organizations should prioritize patching based on whether OpenClaw handles sensitive operations or runs in multi-user environments where local attackers could exploit the TOCTOU window. The requirement for user interaction and local access substantially reduces urgency compared to unauthenticated remote vulnerabilities with similar CVSS scores.

An authenticated attacker with low-level local access identifies an OpenClaw deployment processing approved scripts in a shared environment. The attacker crafts a malicious script and waits for a legitimate user to request approval for a benign script through the OpenClaw workflow. During the time window between when the administrator approves the legitimate script and when the runtime executes it, the attacker exploits the race condition by rapidly replacing the approved script file with their malicious payload. When execution occurs, OpenClaw runs the attacker's code with runtime user privileges, potentially enabling data exfiltration, lateral movement, or persistence establishment depending on the runtime's permission context. The attack requires precise timing but benefits from low complexity (AC:L) and succeeds whenever the approval-to-execution delay creates sufficient opportunity for file substitution.