CVE-2026-4040: Openclaw OpenClaw SafeBins File-existence Oracle Information Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6c9j-x93c-rw6j
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-203
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-4040 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) openclaw safebins file-existence oracle information vulnerability (CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw safebins file-existence oracle information disclosure. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.19.

CVE-2026-4040 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-4040
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6c9j-x93c-rw6j
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-4040

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: 2026.2.19 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.19
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-2026-4040, 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 2026.2.19), 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-203: Observable Discrepancy, where the product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor. 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

An information disclosure vulnerability in OpenClaw's `tools.exec.safeBins` approval flow allowed a file-existence oracle. When safe-bin validation examined candidate file paths, command allow/deny behavior could differ based on whether a path already existed on the host filesystem. An attacker could probe for file presence by comparing outcomes for existing vs non-existing filenames. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.17` - Latest published vulnerable version at triage time: `2026.2.17` - Planned patched version: `2026.2.18` ## Impact Attackers with access to this execution surface could infer whether specific files exist (for example secrets/config files), enabling filesystem enumeration and improving follow-on attack planning. ## Fix The safe-bin policy was changed to deterministic argv-only validation without host file-existence checks. File-oriented flags are blocked for safe-bin mode (for example `sort -o`, `jq -f`, `grep -f`), and trusted-path checks remain enforced. ## Fix Commit(s) - `bafdbb6f112409a65decd3d4e7350fbd637c7754` Found using [MCPwner](https://github.com/Pigyon/MCPwner) Thanks @nedlir for reporting.

CVE-2026-4040 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.19
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.19
2026.2.19

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-6c9j-x93c-rw6j
NVD — CVE-2026-4040 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4040
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/bafdbb6f112409a65decd3d4e7350fbd637c7754
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-4040?
CVE-2026-4040 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw safeBins file-existence oracle information disclosure under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy.
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.19 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-4040?
Upgrading to 2026.2.19 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.19. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.19 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-4040?
CVE-2026-4040 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-4040?
CVE-2026-4040 is classified under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy (The product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-4040?
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-6c9j-x93c-rw6j",
  "modified" : "2026-03-12T17:30:25Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-19T22:06:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-4040" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw safeBins file-existence oracle information disclosure",
  "details" : "An information disclosure vulnerability in OpenClaw's `tools.exec.safeBins` approval flow allowed a file-existence oracle.\n\nWhen safe-bin validation examined candidate file paths, command allow/deny behavior could differ based on whether a path already existed on the host filesystem. An attacker could probe for file presence by comparing outcomes for existing vs non-existing filenames.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.17`\n- Latest published vulnerable version at triage time: `2026.2.17`\n- Planned patched version: `2026.2.18`\n\n## Impact\nAttackers with access to this execution surface could infer whether specific files exist (for example secrets/config files), enabling filesystem enumeration and improving follow-on attack planning.\n\n## Fix\nThe safe-bin policy was changed to deterministic argv-only validation without host file-existence checks. File-oriented flags are blocked for safe-bin mode (for example `sort -o`, `jq -f`, `grep -f`), and trusted-path checks remain enforced.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `bafdbb6f112409a65decd3d4e7350fbd637c7754`\n\nFound using [MCPwner](https://github.com/Pigyon/MCPwner)\n\nThanks @nedlir for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.19"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.2.17"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-6c9j-x93c-rw6j"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-4040"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/bafdbb6f112409a65decd3d4e7350fbd637c7754"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-203" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-19T22:06:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}