CVE-2026-28470
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 · uneditedOpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 contain an exec approvals (must be enabled) allowlist bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands by injecting command substitution syntax. Attackers can bypass the allowlist protection by embedding unescaped $() or backticks inside double-quoted strings to execute unauthorized commands.
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 · high confidenceOpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.2 contain a command injection vulnerability in the exec approvals allowlist feature. Attackers can bypass the allowlist protection by embedding unescaped $() command substitution or backticks inside double-quoted strings, allowing execution of arbitrary commands outside the approved allowlist.
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< 2026.2.2CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed OpenClaw versionRun 'openclaw --version' or check the package manifest/file version metadata to determine the currently installed versionAffected if The installed version is less than 2026.2.2 (e.g., 2026.2.1, 2026.1.0, etc.)
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Locate the exec approvals allowlist configurationFind the configuration file that stores the exec approvals allowlist - typically in the OpenClaw config directory or settings file where approved commands are definedAffected if An exec approvals allowlist configuration file exists and contains entries for approved commands/scripts
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Inspect allowlist entries for command substitution syntaxRead the allowlist configuration and search for any entries containing $() command substitution syntax or backticks (`) within double-quoted stringsAffected if Any allowlist entry contains unescaped $() or backtick syntax that could be exploited for injection
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Check for recent command execution logs showing bypass attemptsReview OpenClaw execution logs or audit trails for any commands that executed unexpectedly, particularly those that may have used $() or backtick injection within allowlisted entriesAffected if Logs show command executions that do not match the expected allowlisted commands or show suspicious argument patterns
A user is affected if OpenClaw version is prior to 2026.2.2 AND the exec approvals allowlist feature is configured with entries that could contain command substitution syntax.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2026.2.2
Update to OpenClaw version 2026.2.2 or later which includes proper input sanitization to escape or reject command substitution syntax ($() and backticks) within allowlisted inputs.
2026.2.2
- Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.2.2 or later
- After upgrading, verify the command injection vulnerability is resolved by testing that $() or backticks within double-quoted strings can no longer bypass the exec approvals allowlist
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-28470 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-28470 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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