Shell-Chain Payload Vulnerability in OpenClaw macOS Companion App

openclaw Updated 04 Mar 2026

Summary

02/03/2026

Disclosed on

LOW

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

Low

Severity

2.3

CVSS Score

GHSA-5f9p-f3w2-fwch: OpenClaw macOS companion app (beta): allowlist parsing mismatch for system.run shell chains. Affects openclaw versions < 2026.2.22. Fixed in 2026.2.22. How to fix ↓

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Background

OpenClaw is an open-source project that provides a companion app for macOS, designed to facilitate secure interactions between users and their paired devices. The app is currently in beta and includes features such as exec approvals to enhance security. However, a parsing mismatch in the allowlist checks for the system.run command has been identified, which could potentially allow unauthorized shell-chain commands to be executed under specific conditions.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability arises from a parsing mismatch in the exec approvals of the OpenClaw macOS companion app. When the exec approvals are set to 'security=allowlist' and 'ask=on-miss', an authenticated user with 'operator.write' permissions can exploit this flaw. This could lead to the execution of shell-chain commands from an incomplete command view on the paired macOS host, posing a significant security risk.

How To Fix

Latest published version: 2026.10.6 as of 22 Oct 2026

npm install openclaw@2026.10.6

Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.

If you need the minimum change

2026.2.22

This is the first release that contains the fix.

npm install openclaw@2026.2.22

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Workaround

As a temporary workaround, users can disable the exec approvals or set them to a less restrictive mode until the patched version is installed. However, this may reduce the overall security of the application.

Conclusion

The OpenClaw macOS companion app has a vulnerability that could allow unauthorized shell-chain commands to be executed under specific conditions. Users are advised to update to the patched version to mitigate this risk. For real-time monitoring of open-source vulnerabilities, consider using Vulert, which can alert you to issues without needing access to the code.

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