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How the CVE-2026-4039 Vulnerability Works:
This vulnerability is an incomplete fix for a previous issue. It allows an attacker to inject malicious environment variables into the CLI backend process using a specially crafted workspace configuration. The root cause is that the CLI backend runner fails to properly sanitize environment variables derived from a workspace config before spawning a new process. An attacker can create a malicious `.openclaw` workspace configuration file containing injected environment variables, such as `PATH=/evil/bin:$PATH` or LD_PRELOAD=/evil.so. When a victim opens this workspace, the CLI backend reads the config and passes the unsanitized variables to the `child_process.spawn` or similar functions. This allows arbitrary command execution or library preloading. The incomplete fix from a previous patch missed this injection vector, leaving it exploitable. The vulnerability affects all versions up to 2026.3.23-2. The maintainer confirmed it as “real shipped malicious-workspace-config env injection” and fixed it by sanitizing backend environment variables before spawning processes. The patch was shipped in version 2026.3.24. The advisory remains open until officially published. The fix commit is c2fb7f1948c3226732a630256b5179a60664ec24, dated March 24, 2026.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: npm package
Version: <=2026.3.23-2
Vulnerability : Environment Variable Injection
Severity: High
Date: 2026-04-07
Prediction: Patch already exists
Analytics under What Undercode Say:
Check installed openclaw version npm list openclaw Update to patched version npm install [email protected] Scan for malicious .openclaw files find . -name ".openclaw" -exec grep -l "PATH=" {} \; Monitor environment variable usage strace -e trace=execve -f -o trace.log openclaw
How Exploit:
- Create a `.openclaw` file with: `{“env”: {“PATH”: “/evil/bin:$PATH”, “LD_PRELOAD”: “/evil.so”}}`
2. Send file to victim
3. Victim opens workspace
4. CLI backend spawns process with injected variables
5. Attacker achieves code execution
Protection from this CVE:
- Update to openclaw version `>=2026.3.24` immediately
- Avoid opening untrusted workspace configurations
- Implement environment variable allowlist in CI/CD
- Use `–ignore-env` flag if available
- Validate all env vars from config files
Impact:
- Remote code execution via malicious workspace
- Privilege escalation through library preloading
- Data exfiltration via injected network proxies
- Full compromise of development environments
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Sources:
Reported By: github.com
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