RCE in Rtk-Ai Rtk

CVE-2026-55249

@rtk-ai/rtk-rewrite transparently rewrites shell commands executed via OpenClaw's exec tool to their RTK equivalents. In 1.0.0, the @rtk-ai/rtk-rewrite OpenClaw plugin passes attacker-controlled input directly into a shell-backed execSync() template string without shell-safe escaping. JSON.stringify() wraps the value in double quotes and escapes inner double-quotes and backslashes, but leaves $() and backtick shell metacharacters untouched. Because execSync delegates execution to /bin/sh -c, the shell expands $(...) substitutions even inside double-quoted strings, causing the injected subcommand to execute before rtk is invoked. An attacker who can influence the exec tool's command parameter (e.g., via an LLM agent prompt or gateway/tool-call input) achieves arbitrary OS command execution with the privileges of the plugin/gateway process.

Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)

EPSS: 0.006 (44.7th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.3 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-55249?
CVE-2026-55249 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Rtk-Ai Rtk, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 6.3/10. Published 2026-06-23.
How severe is CVE-2026-55249?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.3 out of 10.