Executive brief
OpenClaw is a communication extension platform that includes BlueBubbles media functionality for sending files as attachments. A vulnerability in the media path handling allows an attacker to read arbitrary files from the server's disk (such as /etc/passwd or other sensitive data) by providing crafted file paths, potentially exposing sensitive configuration, credentials, or system information accessible to the OpenClaw process.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a path traversal / local file inclusion (LFI) flaw in the sendBlueBubblesMedia function. When processing non-HTTP media sources, the code accepted attacker-controlled filesystem paths via the mediaPath parameter and read files directly from disk without validating that the resolved path remained within intended directories. The root cause is the absence of an allowlist of safe directories combined with lack of canonical-path containment checks. An attacker who can trigger BlueBubbles media sends can request arbitrary file paths (e.g., /etc/passwd) and exfiltrate them as media attachments. The fix (commit 71f357d) hardens the implementation by requiring explicit configured roots (channels.bluebubbles.mediaLocalRoots) and enforcing canonical-path containment validation before file reads. Paths outside allowed roots are rejected.
Affected products
- OpenClaw OpenClaw < v2026.2.14
Timeline
- 2026-02-18: disclosed: Public disclosure of GHSA-rwj8-p9vq-25gv
- 2026-02-14: patched: Fix merged in PR #16322; fix version >= v2026.2.14