Executive Summary

CVE-2026-31993 is a vulnerability in OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.22 affecting the macOS companion app. It involves an allowlist parsing mismatch where authenticated users with operator.write privileges and access to a paired macOS beta node can craft shell-chain payloads that bypass execution approval checks.

The vulnerability arises because the allowlist mechanism does not correctly parse and validate each segment of complex shell command chains. Attackers can exploit this by embedding multiple commands or using shell features like command substitution to execute arbitrary commands on the paired host without proper authorization.

The root cause is incomplete allowlist validation that fails to handle shell control or expansion syntax properly, allowing unsafe commands to pass through. The fix involves robust parsing of shell command chains segment-by-segment, rejecting commands with unsafe shell features, and enforcing a fail-closed security posture.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow an attacker with operator.write privileges and access to a paired macOS beta node to bypass execution approval checks and run arbitrary shell commands on the host system.

Such unauthorized command execution can lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized access to system resources, and potential compromise of the affected macOS host.

Because the vulnerability allows bypassing security controls designed to restrict command execution, it increases the risk of malicious activities such as data manipulation, system disruption, or further exploitation within the environment.

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Compliance Impact

I don't know

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Detection Guidance

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Mitigation Strategies

[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'To mitigate CVE-2026-31993, immediately update OpenClaw to version 2026.2.22 or later, which includes patches that fix the allowlist parsing mismatch vulnerability in the macOS companion app.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': "Ensure that the paired macOS beta nodes are updated and that execution approval settings such as 'security=allowlist' and 'ask=on-miss' are properly configured to prevent bypasses."}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Avoid using vulnerable versions of OpenClaw prior to 2026.2.22, especially in environments where operator.write privileges and paired macOS beta nodes are present.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Review and tighten operator permissions to limit who has operator.write privileges, reducing the risk of exploitation.'}] [1, 2, 3, 4]

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