Executive brief
OpenClaw is a software package used for managing sandboxed environments. A vulnerability in its OpenShell component allows an attacker to bypass security restrictions and write files to unauthorized locations on the host system. This could lead to the corruption of critical system files or unauthorized modification of data outside the intended secure area.
Technical details
A Time-of-Check/Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition exists in the OpenShell filesystem bridge of OpenClaw. The vulnerability occurs during sandbox filesystem write operations where the system fails to properly maintain the integrity of the path between validation and the actual write. An attacker with low privileges can exploit this by performing a symlink swap during the operation, redirecting the write process to locations outside the designated sandbox mount root. This allows for arbitrary file writes on the host system. The issue is fixed in version 2026.4.22 by implementing canonical target validation and root-scoped write helpers.
Affected products
- OpenClaw openclaw < 2026.4.22
Timeline
- 2026-04-23: advisory: Original GHSA-wppj-c6mr-83jj published
- 2026-05-06: disclosed: NVD publication of CVE-2026-44112
- 2026-05-11: other: Duplicate advisory GHSA-6f72-9gxx-98mj withdrawn