OpenClaw shell-env fallback trusted startup env and could execute attacker-influenced login-shell paths

Summary

OpenClaw shell-env fallback trusted startup environment values and could execute attacker-influenced login-shell startup paths before loading env keys.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected versions: >= 2026.1.5 and <= 2026.2.21-2
• Fixed on main: 9363c320d8ffe29290906752fab92621da02c3f7
• Planned patched release version (pre-set): 2026.2.22

Details

The vulnerable chain was in the shell-env fallback path:

1. src/infra/shell-env.ts

• resolveShell(env) trusted env.SHELL when set.
• execLoginShellEnvZero(...) executed ${SHELL} -l -c "env -0" with inherited runtime env.

2. src/config/io.ts

• Config env values were applied before shell fallback execution.

3. src/config/env-vars.ts / env policy coverage

• SHELL handling was hardened, but startup-path selectors (HOME, ZDOTDIR) still needed explicit blocking in config env ingestion and sanitization for shell fallback execution.

With env/config influence, this could trigger unintended command execution in shell startup processing on the OpenClaw host process context.

Fix

Mainline hardening now:

• blocks SHELL, HOME, and ZDOTDIR during config env ingestion used by runtime fallback,
• sanitizes shell fallback execution env, pinning HOME to the real user home and dropping ZDOTDIR + dangerous startup vars,
• adds regression tests for config env ingestion and shell fallback/path-probe sanitization.

Fix Commit(s)

• 9363c320d8ffe29290906752fab92621da02c3f7

Impact

• Local code-execution risk in environments where attacker-controlled env/config input can reach shell-env fallback.
• Under OpenClaw trust assumptions (SECURITY.md), this is not a public-remote issue and depends on crossing local trusted-operator boundaries.

Release Process Note

patched_versions is intentionally pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.22) so once npm release is out, maintainers can publish advisory immediately.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.