Skip to main content
Live Webinar with SANS (June 25)— Agentic CTI Automation for Fun & ProfitRegister Free
Mallory
Back to vulnerabilities
HighPublic exploit

Arbitrary Code Execution in OpenClaw Local Plugin and Hook Installation via .npmrc Git Override

IdentifiersCVE-2026-35641CWE-349· Acceptance of Extraneous Untrusted…

CVE-2026-35641 is an arbitrary code execution vulnerability affecting OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.24. The flaw exists in the local plugin and hook installation workflow. An attacker can craft a malicious .npmrc file that overrides the git executable used by npm. When OpenClaw performs npm install in the staged package directory, git-based dependencies can cause npm to invoke the attacker-specified program instead of the expected git binary. This results in execution of arbitrary code under the security context of the OpenClaw installation process.

Share:
For your environment

Are you exposed to this one?

Mallory correlates every CVE against your assets, your vendors, and active adversary campaigns. Know which vulnerabilities matter for you, not just which ones are loud.

Start free trial
ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution on the affected system during local plugin or hook installation. Because the attacker-controlled program is executed by the npm install process, the attacker can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host within the privileges of the invoking user or service account.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Until patched, avoid installing untrusted local plugins or hooks, especially packages that may include attacker-controlled .npmrc files or git-based dependencies. Restrict who can supply or stage plugin and hook packages, review package contents before installation, and perform installations in tightly controlled environments with minimal privileges. Where operationally feasible, prevent npm from honoring untrusted per-package configuration during installation workflows.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.3.24 or later, which addresses the unsafe handling of .npmrc-controlled git executable overrides during local plugin and hook installation. Apply the vendor-provided fix and ensure all affected deployments are updated.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType
OpenclawOpenclawapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

5 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

5 SOURCESView more in app
What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.
Start free trial
Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity4

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES
MITRE CVE
cve.org · CVE-2026-35641
NVD
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35641
MITRE CWE · CWE-349
Acceptance of Extraneous Untrusted Data With…
Vendor Advisory
github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m3mh-3mpg-37hw
Third Party Advisory
vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-code-execution-via-npmrc-in-local-plugin-hook-installation