Which versions of OpenClaw are affected by CVE-2026-53864?

OpenClaw prior to version 2026.5.26 contains an environment variable sanitization weakness that allows attackers with write access to configuration files to manipulate child process execution and…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-53864?

Within 24 hours: Audit and restrict write access to workspace .env files, tool environment overrides, and skill environment blocks; enable logging of environment modifications. Within 7 days: Inventory all OpenClaw deployments and versions; apply patches to 2026.5.26 immediately upon vendor availability or implement compensating controls. Within 30 days: Complete remediation across all production and non-production environments.

OpenClaw CVE-2026-53864

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-53864?

CVE-2026-53864 has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.6 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/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: 0.3%.

EUVD-2026-37166 HIGH

Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs (CWE-184)

2026-06-16 VulnCheck

GHSA-ccwh-wwpp-6wg5

GHSA-vr6h-vxqj-3pjx

Authentication Bypass Node.js Openclaw

7.6

CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck

Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY

7.6 HIGH

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/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

vuln.today AI

7.1 HIGH

Exploitation requires write access to workspace env sources, so AV:L and PR:L; sanitizer bypass is deterministic (AC:L); confidentiality and integrity high via child-process control, no availability impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/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

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Lifecycle Timeline

Patch available

Jun 16, 2026 - 20:02 EUVD

Analysis Generated

Jun 16, 2026 - 18:51 vuln.today

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw before 2026.5.26 contains an insufficient sanitization vulnerability in the host environment sanitizer that allows Node.js control variables to bypass validation. Attackers with access to workspace .env files, tool environment overrides, or skill environment blocks can pass malicious Node.js control variables to influence child processes or coverage output paths.

Articles & Coverage 1

News 3 New Node.js Vulnerabilities - 3 High Severity, No Public POC Jun 17, 2026

AnalysisAI

Environment variable sanitization weakness in OpenClaw prior to 2026.5.26 lets attackers smuggle Node.js control variables (such as NODE_OPTIONS) past the host environment sanitizer, enabling them to influence child-process behavior and coverage output paths. Affected attackers must have write access to workspace .env files, tool environment overrides, or skill environment blocks, and no public exploit is identified at time of analysis. The flaw was reported by VulnCheck and is tracked under CWE-184 (Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs).

Technical ContextAI

OpenClaw applies a host environment sanitizer intended to strip dangerous variables before spawning Node.js child processes, but the deny-list is incomplete - a classic CWE-184 pattern where known-bad variables (NODE_OPTIONS, NODE_PATH, NODE_REPL_HISTORY, coverage-related variables like NODE_V8_COVERAGE, etc.) are not all enumerated. Because Node.js consults these variables at process startup, a single missed entry permits arbitrary preloads, module-resolution hijacking, or redirection of coverage artifacts into attacker-chosen filesystem locations. The affected component is the OpenClaw package itself (cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*), and remediation lands in version 2026.5.26 per the project's GHSA-ccwh-wwpp-6wg5 security advisory.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade OpenClaw to 2026.5.26 or later, per advisory GHSA-ccwh-wwpp-6wg5 (https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-ccwh-wwpp-6wg5). Until the upgrade is deployed, restrict who can author or modify workspace .env files, tool environment override files, and skill environment blocks consumed by OpenClaw - treat those inputs as code, not configuration. As a compensating control, audit OpenClaw invocations for unexpected NODE_OPTIONS, NODE_PATH, NODE_V8_COVERAGE, and similar Node.js control variables, and consider running OpenClaw under a wrapper that explicitly strips the full Node.js variable family (side effect: legitimate use of those variables for debugging or coverage will also break).