Staging Environment: Content and features may be unstable or change without notice.
Advisory details: github_osv / GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj
Advisory ID github_osv/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj
Aliases CVE-2026-32023
Summary OpenClaw's dispatch-wrapper depth-cap mismatch can bypass shell-wrapper approval gating in system.run allowlist mode ### Summary A wrapper-depth parsing mismatch in `system.run` allowed nested transparent dispatch wrappers (for example repeated `/usr/bin/env`) to suppress shell-wrapper detection while still matching allowlist resolution. In `security=allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`, this could bypass the expected approval prompt for shell execution. ### Severity / Trust Model OpenClaw’s documented model treats authenticated gateway callers as trusted operators and exec approvals as operator guardrails. This issue is still a real approval-boundary bypass and is triaged as **Medium** in that model. ### Technical Details - Dispatch-wrapper unwrapping stopped at `MAX_DISPATCH_WRAPPER_DEPTH`. - Shell-wrapper extraction could return non-wrapper once depth was exhausted. - Allowlist resolution could still succeed on partially unwrapped argv beginning with `/usr/bin/env`. - Result: nested wrapper chains could execute `/bin/sh -c ...` without fresh approval in `allowlist` + `ask=on-miss`. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published version at triage time: `2026.2.23` - Vulnerable versions: `<= 2026.2.23` - Patched versions (planned next release): `>= 2026.2.24` ### Fix Commit(s) - `57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b` ### Verification - Added regression coverage for depth-overflow wrapper chains at resolution and `system.run` invocation layers. - Reproduced previous PoC behavior before fix, then confirmed denial after fix with `SYSTEM_RUN_DENIED: approval required`. ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so once npm publish is complete, advisory publication can proceed without additional version edits. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting. ### Publication Update (2026-02-25) `openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.
Status Published
Exploitability 0.5
Weighted Severity 7.9
Risk 4.0
Affected and Fixed Packages Package Details
Introduced and Fixed Package Commit Patches Package Commit Patches Details
Weaknesses (2)
CWE-284 Improper Access Control
CWE-863 Incorrect Authorization
System Score Found at
cvssv3.1 8.8 https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/03/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj.json
cvssv4 6.9 https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/03/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj.json
generic_textual MODERATE
Reference id Reference type URL
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b Other https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/57c9a18180c8b14885bbd95474cbb17ff2d03f0b
CVE-2026-32023 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32023
GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj Advisory https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj
openclaw-approval-gating-bypass-via-dispatch-wrapper-depth-cap-mismatch-in-system-run Advisory https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-approval-gating-bypass-via-dispatch-wrapper-depth-cap-mismatch-in-system-run
No exploits are available.

No EPSS data available for this advisory.

Patch URL
There are no known patches.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Found at https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/03/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj.json
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

high

none

required

unchanged

changed

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Found at https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2026/03/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj/GHSA-ccg8-46r6-9qgj.json
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Attack Requirements (AT) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Vulnerable System Impact Confidentiality (VC) Vulnerable System Impact Integrity (VI) Vulnerable System Impact Availability (VA) Subsequent System Impact Confidentiality (SC) Subsequent System Impact Integrity (SI) Subsequent System Impact Availability (SA)

network

adjacent

local

physical

low

high

none

present

none

low

high

none

passive

active

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none

high

low

none

Vector: SSVCv2/E:N/A:N/T:P/P:M/B:A/M:M/D:T/2026-03-24T20:25:34Z/

Decision: Track

Source URL: https://github.com/cisagov/vulnrichment/blob/develop/2026/32xxx/CVE-2026-32023.json

Source Advisory: vulnrichment/CVE-2026-32023

View SSVC decision tree 
[{'Exploitation': 'none'},
 {'Automatable': 'no'},
 {'Technical Impact': 'partial'},
 {'Mission Prevalence': 'minimal'},
 {'Public Well-being Impact': 'material'},
 {'Mission & Well-being': 'medium'}]