CVE-2026-32061: Openclaw OpenClaw Vulnerable To Arbitrary File Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4
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CVSS 4.4
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32061 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.4) openclaw vulnerable to arbitrary file vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.17.

CVE-2026-32061 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32061
GHSA Identifier GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.4
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.4

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-32061

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: 2026.2.17 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.17
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-2026-32061, 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 2026.2.17), 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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. 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

## Vulnerability Path traversal in config `$include` resolution allowed arbitrary local file reads outside the config directory boundary (CWE-22). ### Attack Vectors 1. If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can set `$include` to absolute paths (for example `/etc/passwd`) and read files accessible to the OpenClaw process. 2. If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can use traversal paths (for example `../../...`) to escape the config directory. 3. If an attacker can create symlinks inside the config directory, they can point includes to external files unless real-path checks are enforced. 4. Impact scope is bounded by the file permissions of the OpenClaw runtime user; this is not an unauthenticated remote-only vector by itself. ## Impact A successful exploit can expose local secrets and credentials readable by the OpenClaw process user, including API keys and private config material. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Vulnerable versions: `<=2026.2.15` - Patched versions: `>=2026.2.17` ## Fix Commit(s) - `d1c00dbb7c64a39e205464dae7f2a068420e91c1` ## Release Process Note Patched version is pre-set to `2026.2.17`. Once npm release `2026.2.17` is available, this advisory is ready to publish. OpenClaw thanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.

CVE-2026-32061 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.17
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.17
2026.2.17

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4
NVD — CVE-2026-32061 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32061
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d1c00dbb7c64a39e205464dae7f2a068420e91c1
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-file-read-via-include-directive-path-traversal

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32061?
CVE-2026-32061 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.17 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32061?
Upgrading to 2026.2.17 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.17. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.17 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32061?
CVE-2026-32061 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32061?
CVE-2026-32061 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-32061?
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-56pc-6hvp-4gv4",
  "modified" : "2026-03-11T20:38:37Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T19:57:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32061" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive",
  "details" : "## Vulnerability\n\nPath traversal in config `$include` resolution allowed arbitrary local file reads outside the config directory boundary (CWE-22).\n\n### Attack Vectors\n\n1. If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can set `$include` to absolute paths (for example `/etc/passwd`) and read files accessible to the OpenClaw process.\n2. If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can use traversal paths (for example `../../...`) to escape the config directory.\n3. If an attacker can create symlinks inside the config directory, they can point includes to external files unless real-path checks are enforced.\n4. Impact scope is bounded by the file permissions of the OpenClaw runtime user; this is not an unauthenticated remote-only vector by itself.\n\n## Impact\n\nA successful exploit can expose local secrets and credentials readable by the OpenClaw process user, including API keys and private config material.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Vulnerable versions: `<=2026.2.15`\n- Patched versions: `>=2026.2.17`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `d1c00dbb7c64a39e205464dae7f2a068420e91c1`\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nPatched version is pre-set to `2026.2.17`. Once npm release `2026.2.17` is available, this advisory is ready to publish.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.17"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32061"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/d1c00dbb7c64a39e205464dae7f2a068420e91c1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-arbitrary-file-read-via-include-directive-path-traversal"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T19:57:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-11T14:16:28Z"
  }
}