Vulnerability · Published Jun 12, 2026 · Assigned by VulnCheck

CVE-2026-53831OpenClaw < 2026.5.18 - Arbitrary File Read via Shell Expansion in system.run Safe-bin Allowlist

High 8.3

In plain English

A high-severity security flaw in OpenClaw from OpenClaw. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 10% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)8.3High

Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 90.4% of all CVEs

Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none

Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

OpenClaw before 2026.5.18 contains a policy enforcement vulnerability in system.run safe-bin allowlist validation that allows shell expansion to modify command interpretation on POSIX nodes. Authenticated operators can exploit shell metacharacters in approved commands to read unintended node-local files and expose sensitive configuration data.

Affected packages & fixed versions

Ecosystem	Package	Fixed in	Advisory
npm	openclaw	2026.5.18	GHSA-mhq8-78pj-5j79

Affected products (as reported)

Vendor	Product	Versions
OpenClaw	OpenClaw	0 – before 2026.5.18

Weakness: CWE-367 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

References

GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-mhq8-78pj-5j79) vendor-advisory
VulnCheck Advisory: OpenClaw < 2026.5.18 - Arbitrary File Read via Shell Expansion in system.run Safe-bin Allowlist third-party-advisory