CVE-2026-34425

OpenClaw versions prior to commit 8aceaf5 contain a preflight validation bypass vulnerability in shell-bleed protection that allows attackers to execute blocked script content by using piped or complex command forms that the parser fails to recognize. Attackers can craft commands such as piped execution, command substitution, or subshell invocation to bypass the validateScriptFileForShellBleed() validation checks and execute arbitrary script content that would otherwise be blocked.

OpenClaw versions prior to commit 8aceaf5 contain a preflight validation bypass vulnerability in shell-bleed protection that allows attackers to execute blocked script content by using piped or complex command forms that the parser fails to recognize. Attackers can craft commands such as piped execution, command substitution, or subshell invocation to bypass the validateScriptFileForShellBleed() validation checks and execute arbitrary script content that would otherwise be blocked.

## Summary Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, exec script preflight validation could fail open on complex interpreter invocations such as pipes or other non-simple command forms. In those cases, script-content validation could be skipped entirely. ## Impact An attacker-controlled command shape could bypass the intended preflight validation for script execution. This weakened a defense-in-depth guard that was meant to block unsafe script content before execution. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `8aceaf5d0f0ec552b75a792f7f0a3bfa5b091513` — close the fail-open bypass in exec script preflight ## Release Process Note The fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live. Thanks @iskindar for reporting, and thanks @wsparks-vc for coordination.

## Summary Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, exec script preflight validation could fail open on complex interpreter invocations such as pipes or other non-simple command forms. In those cases, script-content validation could be skipped entirely. ## Impact An attacker-controlled command shape could bypass the intended preflight validation for script execution. This weakened a defense-in-depth guard that was meant to block unsafe script content before execution. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `8aceaf5d0f0ec552b75a792f7f0a3bfa5b091513` — close the fail-open bypass in exec script preflight ## Release Process Note The fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live. Thanks @iskindar for reporting, and thanks @wsparks-vc for coordination.