What’s Vulnerable › Vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-53842: OpenClaw < 2026.5.2 - Arbitrary Python Runtime Execution via CLOUDSDK_PYTHON Environment Variable

• Severity: high (CVSS 7.1 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: 2026-06-16 · updated 2026-06-18
• Weakness: CWE-426

Description

OpenClaw before 2026.5.2 contains an environment variable injection vulnerability allowing workspace .env files to influence Python runtime selection through CLOUDSDK_PYTHON during Gmail setup gcloud execution. Attackers with repository access can manipulate the CLOUDSDK_PYTHON variable to execute setup through unintended local Python paths, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution.

Affected products

• OpenClaw: before 2026.5.2; 2026.5.2-beta1, 2026.5.2-beta2, 2026.5.2-beta3 — fixed in 2026.5.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: OpenClaw 2026.5.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

• https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-fq9j-vw4w-fr6v
• https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-python-runtime-execution-via-cloudsdk-python-environment-variable

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