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OpenclawApplication

CVE-2026-28363

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2026.2.23 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In OpenClaw before 2026.2.23, tools.exec.safeBins validation for sort could be bypassed via GNU long-option abbreviations (such as --compress-prog) in allowlist mode, leading to approval-free execution paths that were intended to require approval. Only an exact string such as --compress-program was denied.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

OpenClaw's tools.exec.safeBins validation for the sort command had an allowlist bypass vulnerability. The validation logic only blocked exact string matches like '--compress-program' but failed to account for GNU long-option abbreviations, allowing abbreviated options like '--compress-prog' to pass through in allowlist mode. This enabled execution paths that were intended to require approval.

MitigationUpgrade to OpenClaw version 2026.2.23 or later, which implements proper validation for GNU long-option abbreviations in the safeBins allowlist mechanism.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OpenclawApplication
Affected:< 2026.2.23

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check OpenClaw version
    Run the OpenClaw version command or inspect the installed package to determine the version number
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 2026.2.23
  2. Identify safeBins configuration
    Locate the safeBins configuration file or settings that define allowed commands for tools.exec
    Affected if safeBins is configured and the sort command is included in the allowlist
  3. Verify if sort command is in allowlist
    Examine the safeBins configuration to see if the sort command is explicitly allowed or blocked
    Affected if The sort command is present in the safeBins allowlist configuration
  4. Test abbreviated option bypass
    Execute a sort command using an abbreviated long option such as --compress-prog instead of --compress-program through the tools.exec.safeBins mechanism
    Affected if The abbreviated option --compress-prog passes validation while the full option --compress-program would be blocked

A user is affected if they are running OpenClaw version below 2026.2.23 with safeBins enabled and the sort command in allowlist mode, and abbreviated GNU long options like --compress-prog can bypass the validation that blocks exact matches like --compress-program.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2026.2.23 or later
Fixed in 2026.2.23
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to OpenClaw version 2026.2.23 or later, which implements proper validation for GNU long-option abbreviations in the safeBins allowlist mechanism.

Recommended fix High confidence

OpenClaw 2026.2.23

  1. 1. Identify the current OpenClaw version installed in your environment
  2. 2. Consult the official OpenClaw release notes or repository for version 2026.2.23 to understand the changes and verify it contains the security fix for the safeBins validation bypass
  3. 3. Follow your organization's standard upgrade procedure for OpenClaw, ensuring backup of configuration files if applicable
  4. 4. After upgrade, verify the tools.exec.safeBins configuration properly denies GNU long-option abbreviations (e.g., --compress-prog) in allowlist mode, not just exact strings like --compress-program
  5. 5. Test the fix by attempting the previously exploitable input patterns to confirm they are now blocked

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Openclaw Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-28363 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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