OpenClaw before 2026.8.1 Remote Code Execution via CLOUDSDK_PYTHON_ARGS
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- Fix
- Fixed in 2026.8.1
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
- Exploitation: none
- Automatable: no
- Technical impact: total
Summary
OpenClaw (npm package 'openclaw') versions >= 2026.3.28 and < 2026.8.1 allow an untrusted workspace .env file to set the CLOUDSDK_PYTHON_ARGS environment variable. When an operator starts OpenClaw in attacker-controlled workspace content and then runs the Gmail setup flow, that value is inherited when gcloud is launched, and the gcloud launcher passes it as arguments to the trusted Python interpreter. A crafted CLOUDSDK_PYTHON_ARGS value can therefore cause Python to execute attacker-supplied code with the OpenClaw host user's permissions, allowing credentials to be read, files to be modified, or other processes to be started. This issue is fixed in version 2026.8.1; as a workaround, run Gmail setup only from trusted workspaces and clear inherited CLOUDSDK_* variables beforehand.
Timeline
- CVE published
- CISA SSVC assessment
Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- OpenClaw OpenClaw
From 2026.3.28 · fixed in 2026.8.1