CVE-2026-31994

Summary

OpenClaw Windows Scheduled Task script generation allowed unsafe argument handling in generated gateway.cmd files. In vulnerable versions, cmd metacharacter-only values could be emitted without safe quoting/escaping, which could lead to unintended command execution when the scheduled task runs.

Details

The issue affected Windows daemon startup script generation in src/daemon/schtasks.ts.

Vulnerable behavior included:

• Incomplete cmd argument quoting for metacharacter-only values.
• Incomplete handling of cmd expansion-sensitive characters in script arguments.
• Missing CR/LF guards for script-rendered fields.

The fix hardens Windows script generation by:

• Separating schtasks argument quoting from batch script argument quoting.
• Quoting cmd metacharacter arguments and escaping % / ! expansion cases.
• Rejecting CR/LF in command arguments, task descriptions, and rendered environment assignments.
• Adding regression tests for metacharacter and line-break injection paths.

Impact

This issue is local to Windows deployments and requires control over values that feed service script generation (for example install-time/runtime arguments or environment-derived values). It can result in unintended command execution in the scheduled task context.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Vulnerable versions: <= 2026.2.17
• Patched version: >= 2026.2.19 (planned next npm release)
• Latest published npm version at update time (2026-02-19): 2026.2.17

Fix Commit(s)

• 280c6b117b2f0e24f398e5219048cd4cc3b82396

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.