Affected: OpenClaw

OpenClaw before 2026.3.24 contains an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in local plugin and hook installation that allows attackers to execute malicious code by crafting a .npmrc file with a git executable override. During npm install execution in the staged package directory, attackers can leverage git dependencies to trigger execution of arbitrary programs specified in the attacker-controlled .npmrc configuration file.

Affected: npm: openclaw

> Fixed in OpenClaw 2026.3.24, the current shipping release.

### Summary During the installation phase of OpenClaw local plugins/hooks, the Git executable can be hijacked by a project-level .npmrc file, leading to arbitrary code execution during installation.

### Details Please note that the source code locations mentioned below are based on version openclaw-2026.3.13-1, but the issue has been confirmed to still exist in the current latest version, 2026.3.23.

When installing a local plugin directory, local plugin archive, local hook pack directory, or local hook pack archive, OpenClaw first copies the source directory to a temporary `stageDir`, then executes the following in that directory:

``` npm install --omit=dev --silent --ignore-scripts ```

See `src/infra/install-package-dir.ts:176-199`.

Since this process does not strip the project root `.npmrc`, and npm reads the project-level `.npmrc` during local project installation, an attacker could use a `.npmrc` file in a malicious plugin or hook directory to override npm’s `git` executable path. By leveraging a Git dependency, the attacker could trigger npm to call this malicious program, thereby executing arbitrary local code during the installation phase.

**Affected Paths**

- Plugin CLI entry point: `src/cli/plugins-cli.ts:199-255` - Hook CLI entry point: `src/cli/hooks-cli.ts:573-676` - Plugin local directory / archive installation: `src/plugins/install.ts:379-405`, `src/plugins/install.ts:541-565` - Hook local dir…