Junglewise Threat Intelligence

CVE-2026-32026: OpenClaw sandbox path traversal in temporary directory handling

CVE-2026-32026 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2026-03-03

Technologies: Openclaw. Vendors: Openclaw.

Executive brief

OpenClaw is a JavaScript library that manages sandboxed environments for media processing and attachment delivery. The vulnerability allowed attackers to read arbitrary files from the host system's temporary directory by crafting malicious media references that bypass sandbox boundary checks. This could expose sensitive data temporarily stored on disk, such as user files, credentials, or intermediate processing results.

Technical details

The vulnerability is a path traversal / improper access control flaw (CWE-22, CWE-284) in OpenClaw's sandbox media path resolution logic. In versions ≤2026.2.23, the code accepted absolute paths under os.tmpdir() as trusted media inputs for attachment hydration, without enforcing that the path stay within the active sandboxRoot boundary. Because outbound attachment processing consumed these paths as pre-validated, an attacker could supply attacker-controlled media references pointing to arbitrary files in the host temp directory. The fix (v2026.2.24) restricts sandbox temporary path acceptance to OpenClaw-managed temp roots only, adds SDK/extension temp helpers that default to safe locations, and adds CI guardrails (lint rules and smoke tests) to prevent regressions in messaging and channel code paths. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction—only the ability to supply a malicious media reference to the sandbox.

Affected products

  • OpenClaw openclaw <=2026.2.23

Timeline

  • 2026-03-03: disclosed
  • 2026-02-25: patched: v2026.2.24 published on npm

References

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