CVE-2026-27523: Openclaw OpenClaw's Sandbox Bind Validation Could Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc
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CWE-59 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-27523 is a HIGH openclaw's sandbox bind validation could vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw's sandbox bind validation could bypass allowed-root and blocked-path checks via symlink-parent missing-leaf paths. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.24.

CVE-2026-27523 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-27523
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-27523

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: 2026.2.24 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.24
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-2026-27523, 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 2026.2.24), 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-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. 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 In `openclaw` up to and including **2026.2.23** (latest npm release as of **February 24, 2026**), sandbox bind-source validation could be bypassed when a bind source used a symlinked parent plus a non-existent leaf path. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `<= 2026.2.23` - Patched: `>= 2026.2.24` (planned next release) ### Root Cause `validateBindMounts` previously relied on full-path realpath only when the full source path already existed. For missing-leaf paths, parent symlink traversal was not fully canonicalized before allowed-root and blocked-path checks. ### Security Impact A source path that looked inside an allowed root could resolve outside that root (including blocked runtime paths) once the missing leaf was created, weakening sandbox bind-source boundary enforcement. ### Fix The validation path now canonicalizes through the nearest existing ancestor, then always re-checks the canonical path against both: - allowed source roots - blocked runtime paths ### Verification - `pnpm check` - `pnpm exec vitest run --config vitest.gateway.config.ts` - `pnpm test:fast` - Added regression tests for symlink-parent + missing-leaf bypass patterns. ### Fix Commit(s) - `b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so after npm publish the advisory can be published without further field edits. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting. ### Publication Update (2026-02-25) `openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.

CVE-2026-27523 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.24
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.24
2026.2.24

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc
NVD — CVE-2026-27523 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27523
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-bind-validation-bypass-via-symlink-parent-missing-leaf-paths

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-27523?
CVE-2026-27523 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw's sandbox bind validation could bypass allowed-root and blocked-path checks via symlink-parent missing-leaf paths under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.24 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-27523?
Upgrading to 2026.2.24 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.24. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.24 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-27523?
CVE-2026-27523 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-27523?
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-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc",
  "modified" : "2026-03-18T21:52:35Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T23:10:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-27523" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw's sandbox bind validation could bypass allowed-root and blocked-path checks via symlink-parent missing-leaf paths",
  "details" : "### Summary\nIn `openclaw` up to and including **2026.2.23** (latest npm release as of **February 24, 2026**), sandbox bind-source validation could be bypassed when a bind source used a symlinked parent plus a non-existent leaf path.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `<= 2026.2.23`\n- Patched: `>= 2026.2.24` (planned next release)\n\n### Root Cause\n`validateBindMounts` previously relied on full-path realpath only when the full source path already existed. For missing-leaf paths, parent symlink traversal was not fully canonicalized before allowed-root and blocked-path checks.\n\n### Security Impact\nA source path that looked inside an allowed root could resolve outside that root (including blocked runtime paths) once the missing leaf was created, weakening sandbox bind-source boundary enforcement.\n\n### Fix\nThe validation path now canonicalizes through the nearest existing ancestor, then always re-checks the canonical path against both:\n- allowed source roots\n- blocked runtime paths\n\n### Verification\n- `pnpm check`\n- `pnpm exec vitest run --config vitest.gateway.config.ts`\n- `pnpm test:fast`\n- Added regression tests for symlink-parent + missing-leaf bypass patterns.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1`\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so after npm publish the advisory can be published without further field edits.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.\n\n\n### Publication Update (2026-02-25)\n`openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:H/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.24"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.2.23"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27523"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-bind-validation-bypass-via-symlink-parent-missing-leaf-paths"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T23:10:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-18T02:16:23Z"
  }
}