Executive brief
OpenClaw is a JavaScript runtime library used to execute code in a sandboxed environment. A race condition in its file system bridge allows an attacker with basic privileges to bypass sandbox restrictions and read arbitrary files from the system, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling further compromise.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition in the remote file system bridge's readFile function. The code performs a path validation check and then later reads the file in separate operations, creating a window where an attacker can substitute the intended file (e.g., via symlink or file replacement) after validation but before the actual read. An authenticated attacker can exploit this with network access to escape the sandbox and read arbitrary files. The vulnerability is tracked as CWE-367 and has been patched in version 2026.3.31 with a fix committed on 2026-03-31.
Affected products
- OpenClaw OpenClaw <=2026.3.28
Timeline
- 2026-04-03: disclosed
- 2026-03-31: patched: Fix committed in v2026.3.31
- 2026-04-21: advisory: NVD published CVE-2026-41296