CVE-2026-53858
HIGH 7OpenClaw before 2026.5.2 contains an environment variable injection vulnerability where workspace .env STATE_DIRECTORY could influence bundled runtime dependency roots. Attackers can manipulate the STATE_DIRECTORY variable to load runtime dependencies from unintended local paths, potentially executing malicious code during dependency resolution.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 7), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.1%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 3rd percentile
Impact if exploited
7CVSS 4.0 · HIGH
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ⚠Access: Requires local access to the host
- ✓Privileges: No account or privileges required
- ⚠User interaction: Requires active user interaction
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
- ⚠Requirements: Specific conditions must be present
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-53858/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-53858/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Known Affected Software Configurations
| Vendor | Product | Version range |
|---|---|---|
| Openclaw | Openclaw | < 2026.5.2 |
All CVSS metrics
- HIGH 7 v4.0 · CNA Primary
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - HIGH 7.1 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - HIGH 7 v4.0 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/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:X - HIGH 7.1 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N