High severity · published May 5, 2026
CVE-2026-42435
OpenClaw 2026.2.22 < 2026.4.12 - Shell-Wrapper Detection Bypass via Environment Variable Assignment Injection
8.8
CVSS
0.4%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
OpenClaw versions from 2026.2.22 before 2026.4.12 contain an insufficient shell-wrapper detection vulnerability allowing attackers to inject environment variable assignments at the argv level. Attackers can bypass exec preflight handling to manipulate high-risk shell variables like SHELLOPTS and PS4, affecting execution semantics and security controls.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.4% · higher than 35% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
OP
OpenClaw · OpenClaw
2026.2.22 before 2026.4.12 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42435
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42435
github.com
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/8f8492d172f4c5b4fd7dd9a47855ed620c8770ab
github.com
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-j6c7-3h5x-99g9
www.vulncheck.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-shell-wrapper-detection-bypass-via-environment-variable-assignment-injection
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