Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-31996 affects OpenClaw before 2026.2.19. A safety feature meant to limit certain tool commands to stdin can be bypassed, letting a user who already has command execution access perform unintended file reads or writes. This is not described as remotely exploitable by itself, but it can weaken containment controls.
Executive priority
Treat as a near-term maintenance fix, not an emergency. Prioritize faster if OpenClaw is used in shared environments, CI/CD, automation, or anywhere untrusted users can trigger command execution.
Technical view
OpenClaw tools.exec.safeBins has an input-validation bypass involving allowed command flags. The CVE describes unintended filesystem operations through sort output behavior and recursive grep behavior, bypassing stdin-only restrictions. CVSS 3.1 is 4.4: local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, with low confidentiality and integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to OpenClaw deployments before 2026.2.19 that enable or rely on tools.exec.safeBins restrictions, especially where lower-privileged users or automation can invoke command execution through OpenClaw.
Exploitation context
Sources state attackers need command execution access. The issue is not listed in KEV, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation. Impact depends on what files the OpenClaw process can read or write and how safeBins is used for containment.
Researcher notes
The public description maps to CWE-78, but impact is constrained by preexisting command execution access and process permissions. Avoid assuming remote code execution. Key research questions are how safeBins is exposed in real deployments and whether downstream integrations rely on it as a hard security boundary.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.2.19 or later.
- Review the GitHub advisory and patch commit for vendor-specific guidance.
- Limit who can access OpenClaw command execution features.
- Restrict OpenClaw process filesystem permissions to least privilege.
- Monitor for unexpected file reads or writes by OpenClaw processes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory OpenClaw instances and confirm installed versions.
- Identify deployments using tools.exec.safeBins or stdin-only command restrictions.
- Confirm OpenClaw is upgraded to 2026.2.19 or later.
- Review OpenClaw process permissions and accessible file paths.
- Check logs for unusual command-driven filesystem access patterns.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-78: Command execution behavior lookup
Command injection weaknesses can lead defenders to review execution techniques and command interpreter telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-31996 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N1.82.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-4685-c5cp-vp95)CVE reference · third-party-advisory
- Patch CommitCVE reference · patch
- VulnCheck Advisory: OpenClaw < 2026.2.19 - safeBins stdin-only bypass via sort output and recursive grep flagsCVE reference · third-party-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.