CVE-2026-28482: Openclaw Path Traversal Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2026-28482 is a HIGH (CVSS 5.5) path traversal 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's unsanitized session id enables path traversal in transcript file operations. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.12.
CVE-2026-28482 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.5
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:H/I:N/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-28482
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.
npm install openclaw@2026.2.12Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls openclawHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-28482, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze 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 2026.2.12), 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
CVE-2026-28482 Affected Openclaw Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.2.12
|
2026.2.12
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-28482?
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-28482?
Is openclaw affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-28482?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28482?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-28482?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-5xfq-5mr7-426q",
"modified" : "2026-03-06T01:04:31Z",
"published" : "2026-02-18T00:57:30Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28482" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw's unsanitized session ID enables path traversal in transcript file operations",
"details" : "## Description\n\nOpenClaw versions **<= 2026.2.9** construct transcript file paths using an unsanitized `sessionId` and also accept `sessionFile` paths without enforcing that they stay within the agent sessions directory.\n\nA crafted `sessionId` and/or `sessionFile` (example: `../../etc/passwd`) can cause path traversal when the gateway performs transcript file read/write operations.\n\n**Preconditions:** an attacker must be able to authenticate to the gateway (gateway token/password). By default the gateway binds to `loopback` (local-only); configurations that expose the gateway widen the attack surface.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.9`\n- Fixed: `>= 2026.2.12`\n\n## Fix\n\nFixed by validating session IDs (rejecting path separators / traversal sequences) and enforcing sessions-directory containment for session transcript file operations.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `4199f9889f0c307b77096a229b9e085b8d856c26`\n\n### Additional Hardening\n\n- `cab0abf52ac91e12ea7a0cf04fff315cf0c94d64`\n\n## Mitigation\n\nUpgrade to `openclaw >= 2026.2.12`.\n\nThanks @akhmittra for reporting.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
}, {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "openclaw"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2026.2.12"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-5xfq-5mr7-426q"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28482"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4199f9889f0c307b77096a229b9e085b8d856c26"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/cab0abf52ac91e12ea7a0cf04fff315cf0c94d64"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.12"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-path-traversal-via-unsanitized-sessionid-and-sessionfile-parameters"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T00:57:30Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-05T22:16:23Z"
}
}