What happened
OpenClaw (npm package 'openclaw') before 2026.7.1 improperly handles case sensitivity in the model-facing cron tool: a mixed-case payload kind can pass the agent-facing shell-execution guard and later normalize into a command job. An actor able to steer a tool-enabled agent can therefore create a persistent cron job that executes attacker-selected commands with the privileges of the OpenClaw process user, resulting in access to host files and credentials and impact to scheduled service availability. The issue is limited to cron jobs created or edited through the model-facing cron tool; direct CLI and authorized Gateway scheduling surfaces are trusted operator controls. Fixed in 2026.7.1.
Affected versions
OpenClaw: before 2026.7.1 (semver) Fixed: See vendor advisory.
Why it matters
Review the vendor advisory and exposure of the affected product to determine operational impact.
Detection & mitigation
- Apply vendor-provided updates or mitigations.
- Review affected product exposure and access logs.
Public PoC references
No public PoC reference has passed the current publication threshold.