{"id":"CVE-2026-44995","aliases":["EUVD-2026-29140","GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh","GHSA-p3m6-jr2h-hhxj"],"status":"published","title":"OpenClaw \u003c 2026.4.20 - Arbitrary Code Execution via MCP stdio Environment Variables","description":"OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","severity":{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium","assessor":"cna","from":"cve"},"epss":{"day":"2026-11-10","score":0.00136,"percentile":0.03105,"model":"v2026.06.15"},"facts":{"in_kev":false,"known_exploited":false,"public_exploit":false,"fix_available":true},"cwes":["CWE-427","CWE-454","CWE-829"],"published":"2026-04-25T23:48:03Z","modified":"2026-11-11T02:50:49Z","fixes":[{"ecosystem":"npm","package":"openclaw","fixed_in":["2026.4.20"],"sources":["ghsa","osv"]}],"affected":[{"source":"ghsa","ecosystem":"npm","package":"openclaw","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"2026.4.20"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"npm","package":"openclaw","ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"2026.4.20"}]}]}],"products":[{"vendor":"openclaw","product":"openclaw"}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh","tags":["vendor-advisory","Third Party Advisory","advisory","web"]},{"url":"https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af","tags":["patch","Patch","fix","web"]},{"url":"https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b","tags":["patch","Broken Link","fix","web"]},{"url":"https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-code-execution-via-mcp-stdio-environment-variables","tags":["third-party-advisory","Patch","Third Party Advisory","advisory","web"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44995","tags":["advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh"},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-p3m6-jr2h-hhxj"},{"url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/44xxx/CVE-2026-44995.json","tags":["advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw","tags":["package"]}],"sources":{"cve":[{"id":"CVE-2026-44995","title":"OpenClaw \u003c 2026.4.20 - Arbitrary Code Execution via MCP stdio Environment Variables","description":"OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"published","published":"2026-05-11T16:46:35.083Z","modified":"2026-05-11T17:57:02.478Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium","assessor":"cna"},{"version":"3.1","score":7.3,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","level":"high","assessor":"cna"}],"cwes":["CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T13:42:49.132798Z"}],"euvd":[{"id":"EUVD-2026-29140","description":"OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"published","published":"2026-05-11T16:46:35Z","modified":"2026-05-11T17:57:02Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium"}],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T19:05:10.736891Z"}],"ghsa":[{"id":"GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh","title":"OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config","description":"## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `\u003c 2026.4.20`\n- Patched version: `2026.4.20`\n\n## Impact\n\nWorkspace MCP stdio configuration could pass dangerous process-startup environment variables such as `NODE_OPTIONS`, `LD_PRELOAD`, or `BASH_ENV` to the spawned MCP server process. In a malicious workspace, this could make the MCP child load attacker-controlled code when the operator starts a session that uses that MCP server.\n\nThe impact is limited to local/workspace trust boundaries and requires the operator to run OpenClaw in a workspace containing the malicious MCP configuration. Severity is therefore medium, not high/critical.\n\n## Fix\n\nOpenClaw now filters MCP stdio environment entries through the host environment safety denylist before spawning stdio MCP servers.\n\nFix commits:\n\n- `62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af`\n- `85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b`\n\n## Release\n\nFixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.","status":"published","published":"2026-04-25T23:48:03Z","modified":"2026-05-19T15:56:23Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-427","CWE-454","CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:40:12.430932Z"},{"id":"GHSA-p3m6-jr2h-hhxj","title":"Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config","description":"### Duplicate Advisory\nThis advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh. This link is maintained to preserve external references.\n\n### Original Description\nOpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"withdrawn","published":"2026-05-11T18:31:46Z","modified":"2026-05-18T15:30:16Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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","level":"medium"},{"version":"3.1","score":7.3,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","level":"high"}],"cwes":["CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:40:11.298154Z"}],"nvd":[{"id":"CVE-2026-44995","description":"OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"published","published":"2026-05-11T18:16:39.387Z","modified":"2026-06-17T10:51:34.447Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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","level":"medium","assessor":"secondary"},{"version":"3.1","score":7.3,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","level":"high","assessor":"secondary"}],"cwes":["CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:12:18.239974Z"}],"osv":[{"id":"CVE-2026-44995","title":"OpenClaw \u003c 2026.4.20 - Arbitrary Code Execution via MCP stdio Environment Variables","description":"OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"published","published":"2026-05-11T16:46:35.083Z","modified":"2026-11-11T10:30:25.974526709Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-11T03:21:13.402158Z"},{"id":"GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh","title":"OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config","description":"## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `\u003c 2026.4.20`\n- Patched version: `2026.4.20`\n\n## Impact\n\nWorkspace MCP stdio configuration could pass dangerous process-startup environment variables such as `NODE_OPTIONS`, `LD_PRELOAD`, or `BASH_ENV` to the spawned MCP server process. In a malicious workspace, this could make the MCP child load attacker-controlled code when the operator starts a session that uses that MCP server.\n\nThe impact is limited to local/workspace trust boundaries and requires the operator to run OpenClaw in a workspace containing the malicious MCP configuration. Severity is therefore medium, not high/critical.\n\n## Fix\n\nOpenClaw now filters MCP stdio environment entries through the host environment safety denylist before spawning stdio MCP servers.\n\nFix commits:\n\n- `62fa5071896e95edc7f67d1cebc70a2859e283af`\n- `85d86ebc4bf3d2226d39d132a484f4f7a299fa1b`\n\n## Release\n\nFixed in OpenClaw `2026.4.20`.","status":"published","published":"2026-04-25T23:48:03Z","modified":"2026-05-19T16:11:27.853296Z","cvss":[{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-427","CWE-454","CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:46:51.811331Z"},{"id":"GHSA-p3m6-jr2h-hhxj","title":"Duplicate Advisory: OpenClaw: MCP stdio server env could load dangerous startup variables from workspace config","description":"### Duplicate Advisory\nThis advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-mj59-h3q9-ghfh. This link is maintained to preserve external references.\n\n### Original Description\nOpenClaw before 2026.4.20 contains an improper environment variable validation vulnerability in MCP stdio server configuration that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. Malicious workspace configurations can pass dangerous startup variables like NODE_OPTIONS, LD_PRELOAD, or BASH_ENV to spawned MCP server processes, enabling code injection when operators start sessions using those servers.","status":"withdrawn","published":"2026-05-11T18:31:46Z","modified":"2026-05-18T15:48:41.640606Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":7.3,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","level":"high"},{"version":"4.0","score":5.4,"vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/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","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-829"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:46:52.534897Z"}]}}