openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug] Update silently downgrades exec security from full to allowlist — remote users locked out [2 comments, 3 participants]

TL;DR

Manually editing the ~/.openclaw/exec-approvals.json file to set security=full and ask=off can temporarily workaround the issue with exec security mode changes after updating to version 2026.3.31.

Guidance

• Verify that the exec-approvals.json file exists and can be edited manually to change the security settings.
• Check the release notes for any mentions of security config changes to understand the intended behavior.
• Test the workaround by restarting the gateway after editing the exec-approvals.json file and attempting to execute a new shell command from WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Consider reaching out to the development team for clarification on why the openclaw config set exec.security full command fails with an unrecognized key error.

Example

No code snippet is provided as the issue does not require a code-level fix, but rather a configuration change.

Notes

This workaround may not be a permanent solution and may need to be reapplied after future updates. The development team should be notified about the silent change in security mode and the lack of remote management capabilities for exec approvals.

Recommendation

Apply the workaround by manually editing the ~/.openclaw/exec-approvals.json file, as it provides a temporary solution to restore the previous exec security mode behavior.