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Fencer Intel
high —

GHSA-xmv6-r34m-62p4 json

OpenClaw: Sandbox media fallback tmp symlink alias bypass allows host file reads outside sandboxRoot

published 8mo ago modified 8mo ago

cvss
—
not scored
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
—
no score, EPSS covers CVEs only
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

### Summary A sandbox path validation bypass in `openclaw` allows host file reads outside `sandboxRoot` via the media path fallback tmp flow when the fallback tmp root is a symlink alias.

### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `npm openclaw` - Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.24` - Latest published npm version at triage time (February 26, 2026): `2026.2.24` - Patched version : `2026.2.25`

### Details When `/tmp/openclaw` is unavailable or unsafe, `resolvePreferredOpenClawTmpDir()` in `src/infra/tmp-openclaw-dir.ts` fell back to `os.tmpdir()/openclaw-<uid>` without verifying that fallback path was a trusted non-symlink directory.

`resolveSandboxedMediaSource()` (`src/agents/sandbox-paths.ts`) allows absolute tmp media paths under the OpenClaw tmp root using lexical containment and alias checks. If the fallback tmp root is a symlink alias (for example to `/`), inputs like `$TMPDIR/openclaw-<uid>/etc/passwd` can pass validation and resolve to host files outside `sandboxRoot`.

### Impact This can break sandbox media path confinement and permit unauthorized host file reads (confidentiality impact).

### Reproduction (high level) 1. Force resolver fallback (make `/tmp/openclaw` unavailable/invalid). 2. Make fallback root (`$TMPDIR/openclaw-<uid>`) a symlink alias to `/`. 3. Submit media path under fallback root (for example `$TMPDIR/openclaw-<uid>/etc/passwd`). 4. Observe accepted path and read outside `sandboxRoot`.

### Fix Commit(s) - `496a76c03ba85e15ea715e5a583e498ae04d36e3`

### Release Process Note Patched version is pre-set to release `2026.2.25`; once npm publish for `2026.2.25` is complete, this advisory can be published without further metadata edits.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

Patch / fix

  • npm openclaw 2026.2.25

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Affected packages

ecosystem package affected fixed in
npm openclaw
<2026.2.25
2026.2.25

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
  • CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access

References

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

The maintainers of openclaw/openclaw published their own advisory on GitHub. Reviewed sources take precedence over it.