CVE-2026-41383: OpenClaw OpenShell Mirror Mode Could Delete Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m34q-h93w-vg5x
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CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41383 is a MODERATE openshell mirror mode could delete vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openshell mirror mode could delete arbitrary remote directories when roots were mis-scoped. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.4.2.

CVE-2026-41383 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41383
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m34q-h93w-vg5x
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
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

How to Fix CVE-2026-41383

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: 2026.4.2 
npm install openclaw@2026.4.2
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-2026-41383, 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 2026.4.2), 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-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

## Summary Before OpenClaw 2026.4.2, the OpenShell mirror backend accepted arbitrary absolute `remoteWorkspaceDir` and `remoteAgentWorkspaceDir` values. In mirror mode, those paths were then used as the target of remote cleanup and overwrite operations. ## Impact If an attacker could influence those OpenShell config values, mirror sync could delete the contents of an unintended remote directory and replace them with uploaded workspace data. This was a destructive remote-path bug in the mirror-sync path. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2` - Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1` ## Fix Commit(s) - `b21c9840c2e38f4bb338d031511b479d5f07ca25` — constrain OpenShell mirror sync roots ## Release Process Note The fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live. Thanks @jufeng123768 for reporting.

CVE-2026-41383 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.4.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.4.2
2026.4.2

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m34q-h93w-vg5x
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b21c9840c2e38f4bb338d031511b479d5f07ca25
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41383?
CVE-2026-41383 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving OpenShell mirror mode could delete arbitrary remote directories when roots were mis-scoped 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 2026.4.2 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41383?
Upgrading to 2026.4.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.4.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.4.2 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41383?
CVE-2026-41383 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-2026-41383?
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-m34q-h93w-vg5x",
  "modified" : "2026-04-28T18:17:19Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-07T18:14:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41383" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: OpenShell mirror mode could delete arbitrary remote directories when roots were mis-scoped",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nBefore OpenClaw 2026.4.2, the OpenShell mirror backend accepted arbitrary absolute `remoteWorkspaceDir` and `remoteAgentWorkspaceDir` values. In mirror mode, those paths were then used as the target of remote cleanup and overwrite operations.\n\n## Impact\n\nIf an attacker could influence those OpenShell config values, mirror sync could delete the contents of an unintended remote directory and replace them with uploaded workspace data. This was a destructive remote-path bug in the mirror-sync path.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.4.1`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.4.2`\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.4.1`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `b21c9840c2e38f4bb338d031511b479d5f07ca25` — constrain OpenShell mirror sync roots\n\n## Release Process Note\n\nThe fix is present on `main` and is staged for OpenClaw `2026.4.2`. Publish this advisory after the `2026.4.2` npm release is live.\n\nThanks @jufeng123768 for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.4.2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.4.1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m34q-h93w-vg5x"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b21c9840c2e38f4bb338d031511b479d5f07ca25"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-07T18:14:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}