CVE-2026-44114: OpenClaw < 2026.4.20 - Environment Variable Namespace Collision via Workspace dotenv

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-05-06 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-184

Description

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.

Affected products

OpenClaw: before 2026.4.20 — fixed in 2026.4.20

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: OpenClaw 2026.4.20. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/018494fa3ebb9145112e68b56fe1cb2e9f9a9ed6
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-hxvm-xjvf-93f3
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-environment-variable-namespace-collision-via-workspace-dotenv

Get alerted when CVE-2026-44114 or the next vulnerability affects your stack