CVE-2026-41373
OpenClaw < 2026.3.31 - Compiler Binary Substitution via Environment Variable Override in Host Execution Policy
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains an incomplete host-env-security-policy.json that fails to restrict compiler binary environment variables, allowing untrusted models to substitute CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, and CMAKE_C_COMPILER via environment overrides. Attackers with approved host-exec requests can override compiler binaries to execute arbitrary code during build processes.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
OpenClaw < 2026.3.31 - Compiler Binary Substitution via Environment Variable Override in Host Execution Policy
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains an incomplete host-env-security-policy.json that fails to restrict compiler binary environment variables, allowing untrusted models to substitute CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, and CMAKE_C_COMPILER via environment overrides. Attackers with approved host-exec requests can override compiler binaries to execute arbitrary code during build processes.
- Record
CVE-2026-41373- CVSS 4.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-427
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-26082
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains an incomplete host-env-security-policy.json that fails to restrict compiler binary environment variables, allowing untrusted models to substitute CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, and CMAKE_C_COMPILER via environment overrides. Attackers with approved host-exec requests can override compiler binaries to execute arbitrary code during build processes.
- Record
EUVD-2026-26082- CVSS 4.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-g8xp-qx39-9jq9
OpenClaw: Incomplete host-env-security-policy allows untrusted model to substitute compiler binaries via env overrides
Summary
Incomplete host-env-security-policy.json allows untrusted model to substitute compiler binaries (CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, CMAKE_C_COMPILER) via env overrides on approved host exec requests
Current Maintainer Triage
- Status: narrow
- Normalized severity: medium
- Assessment: Shipped v2026.3.28 host-env policy missed compiler override vars, but exploitation still requires an approved host-exec request inside the existing exec trust domain, so medium not high.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Latest published npm version:
2026.3.31 - Vulnerable version range:
<=2026.3.28 - Patched versions:
>= 2026.3.31 - First stable tag containing the fix:
v2026.3.31
Fix Commit(s)
e277a37f896b5011a1df06e6490c6630074d0afa— 2026-03-30T20:06:32+01:00
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-g8xp-qx39-9jq9- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-427
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains an incomplete host-env-security-policy.json that fails to restrict compiler binary environment variables, allowing untrusted models to substitute CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, and CMAKE_C_COMPILER via environment overrides. Attackers with approved host-exec requests can override compiler binaries to execute arbitrary code during build processes.
- Record
CVE-2026-41373- CVSS 4.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/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 - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-427
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
OpenClaw < 2026.3.31 - Compiler Binary Substitution via Environment Variable Override in Host Execution Policy
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains an incomplete host-env-security-policy.json that fails to restrict compiler binary environment variables, allowing untrusted models to substitute CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, and CMAKE_C_COMPILER via environment overrides. Attackers with approved host-exec requests can override compiler binaries to execute arbitrary code during build processes.
- Record
CVE-2026-41373- CVSS 4.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-427
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-g8xp-qx39-9jq9
OpenClaw: Incomplete host-env-security-policy allows untrusted model to substitute compiler binaries via env overrides
Summary
Incomplete host-env-security-policy.json allows untrusted model to substitute compiler binaries (CC, CXX, CARGO_BUILD_RUSTC, CMAKE_C_COMPILER) via env overrides on approved host exec requests
Current Maintainer Triage
- Status: narrow
- Normalized severity: medium
- Assessment: Shipped v2026.3.28 host-env policy missed compiler override vars, but exploitation still requires an approved host-exec request inside the existing exec trust domain, so medium not high.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Latest published npm version:
2026.3.31 - Vulnerable version range:
<=2026.3.28 - Patched versions:
>= 2026.3.31 - First stable tag containing the fix:
v2026.3.31
Fix Commit(s)
e277a37f896b5011a1df06e6490c6630074d0afa— 2026-03-30T20:06:32+01:00
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
- Record
GHSA-g8xp-qx39-9jq9- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-427
- 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-2026-41373 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.8) in Openclaw, published April 3, 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 2026.3.31.
References
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-g8xp-qx39-9jq9
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-compiler-binary-substitution-via-environment-variable-override-in-host-execution-policy
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41373