Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2026-32979 is a high-severity Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition (CWE-367) vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw. Its CVSS base score is 7.0 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 3th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-32979 is an approval integrity vulnerability (CWE-367) in OpenClaw versions before 2026.3.11. It enables attackers to execute rewritten local code by modifying scripts between the approval and execution phases, especially when exact file binding cannot occur. The issue was published on 2026-03-29 and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
The vulnerability can be exploited by local attackers with low privileges who induce user interaction, such as through social engineering. According to the description, remote attackers can change approved local scripts before execution, achieving unintended code execution as the OpenClaw runtime user and resulting in high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Advisories detailing the issue are available at https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xf99-j42q-5w5p and https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-unbound-interpreter-and-runtime-commands-bypass-in-node-host-approval, which likely recommend upgrading to OpenClaw 2026.3.11 or later to mitigate the vulnerability by addressing the script modification window.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-17018
Vulnerability Data
OpenClaw before 2026.3.11 contains an approval integrity vulnerability allowing attackers to execute rewritten local code by modifying scripts between approval and execution when exact file binding cannot occur. Remote attackers can change approved local scripts before execution to achieve unintended…
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code execution as the OpenClaw runtime user.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V15.4.2V17.2.6
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
A reference monitor that is always invoked and analyzable structurally eliminates the non-atomic check-then-use pattern underlying TOCTOU.
Access enforcement that performs an atomic check-and-use decision directly stops the window in which a TOCTOU race can be exploited.
Process isolation limits the blast radius of a successful TOCTOU exploitation but does not remove the race itself.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly include coding standards and reviews that prevent TOCTOU race conditions.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Reliable, synchronized time across systems narrows the exploitable window in which a resource state can change between a security check and its use.