CVE-2026-41294
OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Environment Variable Injection via CWD .env File
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 loads the current working directory .env file before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing environment variable injection. Attackers can place a malicious .env file in a repository or workspace to override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings during OpenClaw startup.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Environment Variable Injection via CWD .env File
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 loads the current working directory .env file before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing environment variable injection. Attackers can place a malicious .env file in a repository or workspace to override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings during OpenClaw startup.
- Record
CVE-2026-41294- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-15
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-23998
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 loads the current working directory .env file before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing environment variable injection. Attackers can place a malicious .env file in a repository or workspace to override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings during OpenClaw startup.
- Record
EUVD-2026-23998- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq
OpenClaw has a CWD `.env` environment variable injection which bypasses host-env policy and allows config takeover
Summary
OpenClaw loaded the current working directory .env before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing untrusted workspace state to inject host environment values.
Impact
A repository or workspace containing a malicious .env file could override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings when OpenClaw started there.
Affected Component
src/infra/dotenv.ts, src/cli/dotenv.ts
Fixed Versions
- Affected:
<= 2026.3.24 - Patched:
>= 2026.3.28 - Latest stable
2026.3.28contains the fix.
Fix
Fixed by commit 6a79324802 (Filter untrusted CWD .env entries before OpenClaw startup).
- Record
GHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq- CVSS 3.1
- 9.6 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-426
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 loads the current working directory .env file before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing environment variable injection. Attackers can place a malicious .env file in a repository or workspace to override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings during OpenClaw startup.
- Record
CVE-2026-41294- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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 - CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-15
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Environment Variable Injection via CWD .env File
OpenClaw before 2026.3.28 loads the current working directory .env file before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing environment variable injection. Attackers can place a malicious .env file in a repository or workspace to override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings during OpenClaw startup.
- Record
CVE-2026-41294- CVSS 4.0
- 8.5 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-15
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq
OpenClaw has a CWD `.env` environment variable injection which bypasses host-env policy and allows config takeover
Summary
OpenClaw loaded the current working directory .env before trusted state-dir configuration, allowing untrusted workspace state to inject host environment values.
Impact
A repository or workspace containing a malicious .env file could override runtime configuration and security-sensitive environment settings when OpenClaw started there.
Affected Component
src/infra/dotenv.ts, src/cli/dotenv.ts
Fixed Versions
- Affected:
<= 2026.3.24 - Patched:
>= 2026.3.28 - Latest stable
2026.3.28contains the fix.
Fix
Fixed by commit 6a79324802 (Filter untrusted CWD .env entries before OpenClaw startup).
- Record
GHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq- CVSS 3.1
- 9.6 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-426
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-41294 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.5) in Openclaw, published April 1, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.13%, the 2nd percentile. Fixed in openclaw 2026.3.28.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-8rh7-6779-cjqq
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-injection-via-cwd-env-file
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41294