CVE-2026-27485: OpenClaw Reject Symlinks Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-r6h2-5gqq-v5v6",
  "modified" : "2026-02-23T22:29:30Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-20T21:05:45Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-27485" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Reject symlinks in local skill packaging script",
  "details" : "## Vulnerability\n\n`skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py` (a local helper script used when authors package skills) previously followed symlinks while building `.skill` archives.\n\nIf an author runs this script on a crafted local skill directory containing symlinks to files outside the skill root, the resulting archive can include unintended file contents.\n\n## Severity and Exposure\n\n- **Severity: Low**\n- **Execution context:** local/manual workflow only (skill author packaging step)\n- **No remote trigger:** this is not reachable via normal OpenClaw gateway/chat runtime paths\n- **No extraction Zip Slip in this finding:** this issue is limited to packaging-time symlink following\n\n## Impact\n\n- Potential unintentional disclosure of local files from the packaging machine into a generated `.skill` artifact.\n- Requires local execution of the packaging script on attacker-controlled skill contents.\n\n## Affected Components\n\n- `skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py`\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published version during triage: `2026.2.17`\n- Vulnerable version range: `<= 2026.2.17`\n- Planned patched version (next release): `2026.2.18`\n\n## Remediation\n\n- Reject symlinks during skill packaging.\n- Add regression tests for symlink file and symlink directory cases.\n- Update packaging guidance to document the symlink restriction.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `c275932aa4230fb7a8212fe1b9d2a18424874b3f`\n- `ee1d6427b544ccadd73e02b1630ea5c29ba9a9f0`\n\n## Related PR\n\n- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/20796\n\n## Release Process Note\n\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.18`). Once npm `openclaw@2026.2.18` is published, this advisory is ready to publish without additional edits.\n\nThanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/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" : "2026.2.19"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.2.18"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-r6h2-5gqq-v5v6"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27485"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/20796"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/c275932aa4230fb7a8212fe1b9d2a18424874b3f"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/ee1d6427b544ccadd73e02b1630ea5c29ba9a9f0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.19"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-61" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-20T21:05:45Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-21T10:16:12Z"
  }
}