GHSA-mwcg-wfq3-4gjc
OpenClaw's system.run approval TOCTOU via mutable symlink cwd target on node host
Packages
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Summary
In `[email protected]`, approval-bound `system.run` on node hosts could be influenced by mutable symlink `cwd` targets between approval and execution.
### Details
Approval matching on the gateway validated command/argv and binding fields, including `cwd`, as provided text. Node execution later used runtime `cwd` resolution. A symlinked `cwd` could therefore be retargeted after approval and before spawn.
OpenClaw's trust model does not treat one shared gateway as a multi-tenant adversarial boundary, but approval integrity is still a security boundary for operator-reviewed command execution.
### Affected Packages / Versions
- Package: `openclaw` (npm)
- Affected: `<= 2026.2.24`
- Patched: `>= 2026.2.25`
### Fix Commit(s)
- `f789f880c934caa8be25b38832f27f90f37903db`
### Remediation
The fix adds defense-in-depth hardening for approval-bound node execution:
- reject symlink `cwd` paths for approval-bound `system.run`
- canonicalize path-like executable argv before spawn
- bind CLI approval requests to exact `commandArgv`
### Release Process Note
Patched version is pre-set to the release (`2026.2.25`). Advisory published with npm release `2026.2.25`.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-mwcg-wfq3-4gjc
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32043
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/f789f880c934caa8be25b38832f27f90f37903db
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-time-of-check-time-of-use-via-mutable-symlink-in-system-run-cwd-parameter