CVE-2026-22180: OpenClaw Unified Root-bound Write Hardening For Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-3pxq-f3cp-jmxp
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-367 CWE-59
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-22180 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) unified root-bound write hardening for vulnerability (CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unified root-bound write hardening for browser output and related path-boundary flows. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.2.

CVE-2026-22180 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-22180
GHSA Identifier GHSA-3pxq-f3cp-jmxp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-22180

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected OpenClaw dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openclaw fixed: 2026.3.2 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls openclaw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-22180, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of OpenClaw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.3.2), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls openclaw command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition, where the product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. In OpenClaw, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary A path-confinement bypass in browser output handling allowed writes outside intended roots in `openclaw` versions up to and including `2026.3.1`. The fix unifies root-bound, file-descriptor-verified write semantics and canonical path-boundary validation across browser output and related install/skills write paths. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published npm version at triage time: `2026.3.1` - Affected range: `<= 2026.3.1` - Patched release: `2026.3.2` (released) ### Fix Commit(s) - `104d32bb64cdf19d5e77f70553a511a2ae90ad1c` ### Technical Notes - Browser output writes now use root-bound, fd/inode-verified commit flow. - Install + skills path checks now share canonical in-base validation to reduce drift and close equivalent escape surfaces. - Added regression coverage for symlink-rebind and root-bound source-path write behavior.

CVE-2026-22180 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.2
2026.3.2

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-3pxq-f3cp-jmxp
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/104d32bb64cdf19d5e77f70553a511a2ae90ad1c
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22180?
CVE-2026-22180 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Unified root-bound write hardening for browser output and related path-boundary flows under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition.
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.2 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-22180?
Upgrading to 2026.3.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-22180?
CVE-2026-22180 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-22180?
CVE-2026-22180 is classified under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition (The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-22180?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-3pxq-f3cp-jmxp",
  "modified" : "2026-03-18T01:31:51Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T21:20:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22180" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Unified root-bound write hardening for browser output and related path-boundary flows",
  "details" : "### Summary\nA path-confinement bypass in browser output handling allowed writes outside intended roots in `openclaw` versions up to and including `2026.3.1`.\n\nThe fix unifies root-bound, file-descriptor-verified write semantics and canonical path-boundary validation across browser output and related install/skills write paths.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published npm version at triage time: `2026.3.1`\n- Affected range: `<= 2026.3.1`\n- Patched release: `2026.3.2` (released)\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `104d32bb64cdf19d5e77f70553a511a2ae90ad1c`\n\n### Technical Notes\n- Browser output writes now use root-bound, fd/inode-verified commit flow.\n- Install + skills path checks now share canonical in-base validation to reduce drift and close equivalent escape surfaces.\n- Added regression coverage for symlink-rebind and root-bound source-path write behavior.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-3pxq-f3cp-jmxp"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/104d32bb64cdf19d5e77f70553a511a2ae90ad1c"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-367", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T21:20:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}