CVE-2026-41390
Execution Allowlist Bypass in OpenClaw Enables Persistent Trust Abuse
Publication date: 2026-04-28
Last updated on: 2026-04-30
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| openclaw | openclaw | to 2026.3.28 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-807 | The product uses a protection mechanism that relies on the existence or values of an input, but the input can be modified by an untrusted actor in a way that bypasses the protection mechanism. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authorization controls, leading to high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.
Such unauthorized access and potential data modification or disruption could negatively affect compliance with standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict controls to protect sensitive data and ensure system integrity.
However, the provided information does not explicitly mention compliance impacts or specific regulatory considerations.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-41390 is a vulnerability in OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.28 involving the exec allowlist feature's allow-always persistence mechanism. The issue is that the system fails to properly unwrap command wrappers like /usr/bin/script before storing trust decisions. This means that when a user approves a wrapped command, the system incorrectly grants persistent trust to the wrapper binary itself rather than the actual underlying executable.
As a result, an attacker can exploit this by obtaining user approval for one wrapped command, which then allows the wrapper binary to execute different, potentially unauthorized programs without further user consent.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can have a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your system. Exploitation allows attackers to bypass authorization controls by executing unauthorized programs through trusted wrapper binaries.
- Unauthorized access to sensitive data (confidentiality impact).
- Modification or corruption of data or system state (integrity impact).
- Disruption of service or system availability (availability impact).
The attack requires local access with low privileges and user interaction, but once exploited, it can lead to significant unauthorized actions on the system.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate the CVE-2026-41390 vulnerability, you should upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.3.28 or later, where the issue with unwrapping script wrappers before storing trust decisions has been fixed.
This update ensures that trust is correctly assigned to the actual executed binaries rather than their wrappers, preventing attackers from bypassing the exec allowlist.