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OpenclawApplication

CVE-2026-53846

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2026.4.29 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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
OpenClaw before 2026.4.29 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the install helper that allows workspace .env files to override the npm_execpath configuration used for bundled runtime dependency installation. Attackers with workspace access can execute unintended local package-manager executables during dependency setup to compromise the build environment.

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 before 2026.4.29 contains a path traversal vulnerability in its install helper where workspace .env files can override the npm_execpath configuration used for bundled runtime dependency installation. Attackers with workspace access can inject malicious paths via .env files to execute unintended local package-manager executables during dependency setup, compromising the build environment.

MitigationUpgrade to OpenClaw 2026.4.29 or later which implements proper path traversal validation and restricts .env file override of the npm_execpath configuration. Until patched, carefully audit all workspace .env files and restrict write access to prevent injection.

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:< 2026.4.29= 2026.4.29

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

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

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 installed version
    Run 'openclaw --version' or check the package.json/version file in the OpenClaw installation directory. Compare the version number to the affected range: any version before 2026.4.29 is vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 2026.4.29 (e.g., 2026.4.28, 2026.4.0, etc.) or displays no version information indicating an older build.
  2. Locate workspace .env files
    Search for .env files within the project workspace directories, typically in the root folder or workspace subdirectories. Look for files named '.env', '.env.local', or similar patterns.
    Affected if One or more .env files exist in the workspace that could be read or modified by users with workspace access.
  3. Inspect .env files for npm_execpath override
    Open each found .env file and search for any 'npm_execpath' configuration entries. Check if this variable is set to a custom path or value rather than being unset.
    Affected if The .env file contains an 'npm_execpath' variable set to a value, indicating the npm execution path is being overridden from its default.
  4. Verify .env file write permissions
    Check file system permissions on the .env files (e.g., using 'ls -la' on Unix or right-click Properties on Windows). Determine if users other than the owner can write to these files.
    Affected if The .env files have write permissions granted to users beyond the intended administrator, allowing workspace users to modify the configuration.
  5. Review install helper configuration
    Examine the OpenClaw install helper configuration files for how npm_execpath is handled during dependency installation. Look for any validation of the path or allowance of user-supplied values.
    Affected if The install helper accepts npm_execpath values from .env files without validation, allowing arbitrary path traversal.

The environment is affected if OpenClaw version is before 2026.4.29 AND workspace .env files can be modified to override the npm_execpath configuration for dependency installation.

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 2026.4.29 or later
Fixed in 2026.4.29
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.4.29 or later which implements proper path traversal validation and restricts .env file override of the npm_execpath configuration. Until patched, carefully audit all workspace .env files and restrict write access to prevent injection.

Recommended fix High confidence

2026.4.29 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current Openclaw installation version using 'openclaw --version' or checking the package.json
  2. 2. For containerized deployments, update the base image tag to 2026.4.29 or later in your Dockerfile or docker-compose.yml
  3. 3. For npm/yarn installations, run 'npm install [email protected]' or the equivalent for your package manager
  4. 4. After upgrading, verify the installed version matches or exceeds 2026.4.29 using 'openclaw --version'
  5. 5. Test the install helper functionality to confirm the path traversal is no longer present
  6. 6. Review any custom .env configurations in workspace directories to ensure they do not contain malicious npm_execpath overrides

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-2026-53846 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data