CVE-2026-32024: Openclaw OpenClaw's Avatar Symlink Traversal Can Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-rx3g-mvc3-qfjf
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CVSS 5.5
CWE-59 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32024 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) openclaw's avatar symlink traversal can vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw's avatar symlink traversal can expose out-of-workspace local files. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.22.

CVE-2026-32024 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32024
GHSA Identifier GHSA-rx3g-mvc3-qfjf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

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).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-32024

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: 2026.2.22 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.22
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-2026-32024, 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 2026.2.22), 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 OpenClaw avatar handling allowed a symlink traversal path that could expose local files outside an agent workspace through gateway avatar surfaces. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.21`, plus prereleases `2026.2.21-1` and `2026.2.21-2` - Latest published version at triage time (2026-02-22): `2026.2.21-2` (affected) - Planned patched version (pre-set for release workflow): `2026.2.22` ### Details In vulnerable builds, local avatar resolution could follow symlinks and return file bytes from outside the configured workspace boundary. The issue was hardened in two paths: 1. Gateway avatar metadata resolution now enforces canonical containment, `O_NOFOLLOW`, and fd/file-identity checks. 2. Control UI avatar serving now rejects symlink paths and enforces fd/file-identity and size checks before reads. ### Fix Commit(s) - `3d0337504349954237d09e4d957df5cb844d5e77` - `6970c2c2db3ee069ef0fff0ade5cfbdd0134f9d2` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to `>= 2026.2.22` so after npm release, the remaining action is to publish this advisory. ### Impact Confidentiality impact only: local files readable by the OpenClaw process could be disclosed via avatar response surfaces. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

CVE-2026-32024 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.22
2026.2.22

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rx3g-mvc3-qfjf
NVD — CVE-2026-32024 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32024
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3d0337504349954237d09e4d957df5cb844d5e77
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/6970c2c2db3ee069ef0fff0ade5cfbdd0134f9d2
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-symlink-traversal-in-avatar-handling

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32024?
CVE-2026-32024 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw's avatar symlink traversal can expose out-of-workspace local files under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32024?
Upgrading to 2026.2.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.22. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.22 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32024?
CVE-2026-32024 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32024?
CVE-2026-32024 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-2026-32024?
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-rx3g-mvc3-qfjf",
  "modified" : "2026-03-20T21:36:57Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-03T00:20:18Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32024" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw's avatar symlink traversal can expose out-of-workspace local files",
  "details" : "### Summary\nOpenClaw avatar handling allowed a symlink traversal path that could expose local files outside an agent workspace through gateway avatar surfaces.\n\n### Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.21`, plus prereleases `2026.2.21-1` and `2026.2.21-2`\n- Latest published version at triage time (2026-02-22): `2026.2.21-2` (affected)\n- Planned patched version (pre-set for release workflow): `2026.2.22`\n\n### Details\nIn vulnerable builds, local avatar resolution could follow symlinks and return file bytes from outside the configured workspace boundary.\n\nThe issue was hardened in two paths:\n1. Gateway avatar metadata resolution now enforces canonical containment, `O_NOFOLLOW`, and fd/file-identity checks.\n2. Control UI avatar serving now rejects symlink paths and enforces fd/file-identity and size checks before reads.\n\n### Fix Commit(s)\n- `3d0337504349954237d09e4d957df5cb844d5e77`\n- `6970c2c2db3ee069ef0fff0ade5cfbdd0134f9d2`\n\n### Release Process Note\n`patched_versions` is pre-set to `>= 2026.2.22` so after npm release, the remaining action is to publish this advisory.\n\n### Impact\nConfidentiality impact only: local files readable by the OpenClaw process could be disclosed via avatar response surfaces.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey 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:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-rx3g-mvc3-qfjf"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32024"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3d0337504349954237d09e4d957df5cb844d5e77"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/6970c2c2db3ee069ef0fff0ade5cfbdd0134f9d2"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-symlink-traversal-in-avatar-handling"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-03T00:20:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-19T22:16:36Z"
  }
}