CVE-2026-32023

Description

### 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) `[email protected]` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.

How to fix CVE-2026-32023

To remediate CVE-2026-32023, upgrade the affected package to a fixed version below.

• —upgrade to 2026.2.24 or later

Is CVE-2026-32023 being exploited?

Low — EPSS is 0.1%, meaning exploitation activity has not been observed at scale.