OpenClaw is an npm-distributed agent runtime. In versions >= 2026.2.26 and < 2026.7.1, PowerShell command analysis on Windows hosts running in exec allowlist mode could approve an exact executable resolved from PATH but subsequently execute a same-named executable located in the workspace directory. If lower-trust content can place an executable with an approved basename into an agent-writable workspace and steer an approved PowerShell command that uses a bare executable name, OpenClaw may run the workspace file instead of the allowlisted path, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the Gateway or node-host user. The issue does not require replacement of the approved executable itself. Version 2026.7.1 contains a fix; as a workaround, avoid bare executable names in approved PowerShell commands and keep executable files out of agent-writable workspaces.
Weakness
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product’s direct control.
Extended Description
This might allow attackers to execute their own programs, access unauthorized data files, or modify configuration in unexpected ways. If the product uses a search path to locate critical resources such as programs, then an attacker could modify that search path to point to a malicious program, which the targeted product would then execute. The problem extends to any type of critical resource that the product trusts. Some of the most common variants of untrusted search path are: