OpenClaw before 2026.3.24 contains an environment variable injection vulnerability in the CLI backend runner that allows attackers to inject malicious environment variables through workspace configuration. Attackers can craft malicious workspace configs to inject arbitrary environment variables into the backend process spawning, enabling code execution or sensitive data exposure.

OpenClaw before 2026.3.22 contains an incomplete host environment variable sanitization vulnerability in host-env-security-policy.json and host-env-security.ts that allows package-manager environment overrides. Attackers can exploit approved exec requests to redirect package resolution or runtime bootstrap to attacker-controlled infrastructure and execute trojanized content.

OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 allows workspace .env files to override the OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR environment variable, compromising plugin trust verification. Attackers with control over workspace configuration can inject malicious plugins by overriding the bundled plugin trust root directory.

OpenClaw before 2026.4.2 contains an improper trust boundary vulnerability allowing untrusted workspace channel shadows to execute during built-in channel setup and login. Attackers can clone a workspace with a malicious plugin claiming a bundled channel id to achieve unintended in-process code execution before the plugin is explicitly trusted.

OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 allows workspace .env files to override the OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_HOOKS_DIR environment variable, enabling loading of attacker-controlled hook code. Attackers can replace trusted default-on bundled hooks from untrusted workspaces to execute arbitrary code.

OpenClaw before 2026.4.20 fails to properly reserve the OPENCLAW_ runtime-control environment namespace in workspace dotenv files, allowing attackers to override critical runtime variables. Malicious workspaces can set variables like OPENCLAW_GIT_DIR to manipulate trusted OpenClaw runtime behavior during source-update or installer flows.

OpenClaw before 2026.3.22 contains an environment variable override handling vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass the shared host environment policy through inconsistent sanitization paths. Attackers can supply blocked or malformed override keys that slip through inconsistent validation to execute arbitrary code with unintended environment variables.

OpenClaw before 2026.4.9 contains an environment variable injection vulnerability allowing malicious workspace .env files to set runtime-control variables. Attackers can inject variables affecting update sources, gateway URLs, ClawHub resolution, and browser executable paths to compromise application behavior.

OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.21 fail to filter dangerous process-control environment variables from config env.vars, allowing startup-time code execution. Attackers can inject variables like NODE_OPTIONS or LD_* through configuration to execute arbitrary code in the OpenClaw gateway service runtime context.