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Openclaw EUVDEUVD-2026-12708

| CVE-2026-22168 MEDIUM
Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') (CWE-88)
2026-03-18 VulnCheck GHSA-5v6x-rfc3-7qfr
6.5
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Argument sanitization
Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) indicates network-accessible exploitation requiring low complexity and authenticated user privileges, with high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability impact. However, this scoring appears conservative given the vulnerability's actual threat: authenticated operators can achieve arbitrary local command execution, which typically carries integrity and availability implications beyond information disclosure. The availability of a patch from the vendor and documented proof-of-concept references (GitHub advisory GHSA-5v6x-rfc3-7qfr and VulnCheck advisory) indicate active research and a clear exploitation path. Real-world risk is elevated because: (1) the attack requires only authenticated access, a lower barrier in managed environments; (2) the approval-audit mismatch creates a forensic blind spot that could hinder incident response; (3) exploitation is straightforward and non-interactive; and (4) Windows command execution can readily be escalated to system compromise. This should be prioritized as a real operational risk, not a theoretical high-CVSS issue.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated OpenClaw operator submits a system.run request to execute cmd.exe /c echo safe, which passes approval and is logged. However, the attacker appends a trailing argument such as cmd.exe /c echo safe & whoami & systeminfo, causing the benign approval log entry to record only the echo command while the actual execution runs the additional whoami and systeminfo commands. The approval audit trail shows only the benign echo command, masking the information gathering, while the operator gains access to sensitive system information and can use this as reconnaissance for further attacks. This scenario is straightforward given the low attack complexity and non-interactive nature of the exploit, making it likely to be discovered and exploited quickly once the vulnerability is public.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 18, 2026

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 contain an approval-integrity mismatch vulnerability in the system.run function that allows authenticated operators to execute arbitrary commands on Windows systems by appending malicious arguments after cmd.exe /c while the approval audit log records only the benign command text. An authenticated attacker with operator privileges can exploit this to achieve local command execution on trusted Windows nodes with mismatched or incomplete audit trails, enabling information disclosure and lateral movement while evading detection.

RemediationAI

Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.2.21 or later immediately. The vendor has released a patch available at the GitHub commit link (https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/6007941f04df1edcca679dd6c95949744fdbd4df). Until patching is completed, implement the following interim controls: (1) restrict operator access to the system.run function to only trusted, audited operators; (2) enforce approval workflows that require explicit validation of the full command string including trailing arguments, not just the initial command; (3) implement enhanced logging and monitoring on Windows nodes to detect unexpected cmd.exe invocations with suspicious arguments; (4) segment OpenClaw infrastructure to limit blast radius of command execution; and (5) cross-validate audit logs against actual process execution logs using Windows Event Logging (Event ID 4688 for process creation) to detect approval-execution mismatches.

Affected VersionsENISA

OpenClaw 0 <2026.2.21

Affected Packages

npm openclaw fix: 2026.2.21

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in npm

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability exists in OpenClaw's system.run implementation, which processes Windows command execution through cmd.exe /c. The root cause is classified under CWE-88 (Argument Injection), where user-controlled input is insufficiently validated before being passed to command-line interpreters. The approval mechanism validates and logs only the initial command string, but the actual execution allows trailing arguments to be smuggled through to cmd.exe /c without re-validation. This creates a separation between what is approved and logged versus what actually executes. The affected product is OpenClaw (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:openclaw:openclaw:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*), a system automation and orchestration platform that manages command execution across Windows infrastructure.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 6.5 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch released
Mar 18, 2026 - 02:30 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Mar 18, 2026 - 01:34 nvd
MEDIUM 6.5

DescriptionCVE.org

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 contain an approval-integrity mismatch vulnerability in system.run that allows authenticated operators to execute arbitrary trailing arguments after cmd.exe /c while approval text reflects only a benign command. Attackers can smuggle malicious arguments through cmd.exe /c to achieve local command execution on trusted Windows nodes with mismatched audit logs.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-22168 presents notable security risk rated CVSS 6.5. Exploitation could compromise the security of affected deployments. A patch is available and should be applied during regular vulnerability management.

Business Impact: Moderate
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If patching is delayed: restrict network access and enable monitoring.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 85% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No

Priority Score

32
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +32
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

CVE-2026-28446 CRITICAL POC
9.4 Mar 05

Auth bypass in OpenClaw voice-call extension before 2026.2.1. EPSS 0.68%. PoC and patch available.

CVE-2026-33579 CRITICAL POC
9.4 Mar 31

Privilege escalation in OpenClaw (pre-2026.3.28) allows unauthenticated remote attackers to gain administrative access b

CVE-2026-32042 HIGH POC
8.8 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions 2026.2.22 through 2026.2.24 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated att

CVE-2026-32051 HIGH POC
8.8 Mar 21

An authorization mismatch vulnerability in OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.1 allows authenticated users with operator.

CVE-2026-25253 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 01

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.1.29 automatically establish WebSocket connections to attacker-controlled gateway URLs e

CVE-2026-32846 HIGH POC
8.7 Mar 26

Path traversal in OpenClaw through version 2026.3.23 enables unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files in

CVE-2026-53857 HIGH POC
8.6 Jun 16

Authentication bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.5.3 allows remote attackers with low privileges to receive agent responses

CVE-2026-100530 HIGH POC
8.5 Sep 26

Directory-context bypass in OpenClaw before 2026.8.1 allows authenticated attackers with user interaction to reuse an 'a

CVE-2026-32064 HIGH POC
8.5 Mar 21

Unauthenticated access to the noVNC observer interface in OpenClaw's Docker sandbox browser allows anyone who can reach

CVE-2026-32055 HIGH POC
7.6 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions before 2026.2.26 allow authenticated attackers to write arbitrary files outside the workspace director

CVE-2026-32056 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain a shell environment variable injection vulnerability in the system.run func

CVE-2026-32049 HIGH POC
7.5 Mar 21

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 contain a resource exhaustion vulnerability where the application fails to consiste

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