CVE-2026-25475: Openclaw Path Extraction Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r8g4-86fx-92mq
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-200 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-25475 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) path extraction vulnerability (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves path extraction. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.1.30.

CVE-2026-25475 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-25475
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r8g4-86fx-92mq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-25475

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: 2026.1.30 
npm install openclaw@2026.1.30
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-2026-25475, 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 2026.1.30), 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-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, where the product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. 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 The `isValidMedia()` function in `src/media/parse.ts` allows arbitrary file paths including absolute paths, home directory paths, and directory traversal sequences. An agent can read any file on the system by outputting `MEDIA:/path/to/file`, exfiltrating sensitive data to the user/channel. ### Details **Location:** `src/media/parse.ts:17-27` The path validation accepts dangerous patterns: ```typescript function isValidMedia(candidate: string, opts?: { allowSpaces?: boolean }) { if (candidate.startsWith("/")) return true; // ALLOWS /etc/passwd if (candidate.startsWith("./")) return true; if (candidate.startsWith("../")) return true; // ALLOWS ../../etc/passwd if (candidate.startsWith("~")) return true; // ALLOWS ~/secrets return false; } ``` No validation ensures the path is within a safe directory or is actually a media file. ### PoC Agent outputs any of: ``` MEDIA:/etc/passwd MEDIA:~/.ssh/id_rsa MEDIA:~/.aws/credentials MEDIA:../../../etc/passwd ``` The file contents are rendered/sent to the requesting user or channel. ### Impact - Read ANY file accessible to the agent user - Exfiltrate SSH keys (`~/.ssh/id_rsa`) - Steal cloud credentials (`~/.aws/credentials`) - Access API keys (`.env`, `config.json`) - Read system files (`/etc/passwd`, `/etc/shadow`) **Note:** PR #4930 contains a fix but is NOT MERGED - production is vulnerable.

CVE-2026-25475 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.1.30
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.1.30
2026.1.30

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-r8g4-86fx-92mq
NVD — CVE-2026-25475 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25475
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-25475?
CVE-2026-25475 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving Path Extraction under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.1.30 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-25475?
Upgrading to 2026.1.30 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.1.30. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.1.30 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-25475?
CVE-2026-25475 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-25475?
CVE-2026-25475 is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-25475?
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-r8g4-86fx-92mq",
  "modified" : "2026-02-04T21:57:03Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-04T19:02:51Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-25475" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw Vulnerable to Local File Inclusion via MEDIA: Path Extraction",
  "details" : "### Summary\nThe `isValidMedia()` function in `src/media/parse.ts` allows arbitrary file paths including absolute paths, home directory paths, and directory traversal sequences. An agent can read any file on the system by outputting `MEDIA:/path/to/file`, exfiltrating sensitive data to the user/channel.\n\n### Details\n**Location:** `src/media/parse.ts:17-27`\n\nThe path validation accepts dangerous patterns:\n\n```typescript\nfunction isValidMedia(candidate: string, opts?: { allowSpaces?: boolean }) {\n  if (candidate.startsWith(\"/\")) return true;      // ALLOWS /etc/passwd\n  if (candidate.startsWith(\"./\")) return true;\n  if (candidate.startsWith(\"../\")) return true;    // ALLOWS ../../etc/passwd\n  if (candidate.startsWith(\"~\")) return true;      // ALLOWS ~/secrets\n  return false;\n}\n```\n\nNo validation ensures the path is within a safe directory or is actually a media file.\n\n### PoC\n\nAgent outputs any of:\n```\nMEDIA:/etc/passwd\nMEDIA:~/.ssh/id_rsa\nMEDIA:~/.aws/credentials\nMEDIA:../../../etc/passwd\n```\n\nThe file contents are rendered/sent to the requesting user or channel.\n\n### Impact\n- Read ANY file accessible to the agent user\n- Exfiltrate SSH keys (`~/.ssh/id_rsa`)\n- Steal cloud credentials (`~/.aws/credentials`)\n- Access API keys (`.env`, `config.json`)\n- Read system files (`/etc/passwd`, `/etc/shadow`)\n\n**Note:** PR #4930 contains a fix but is NOT MERGED - production is vulnerable.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.1.30"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.1.29"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-r8g4-86fx-92mq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25475"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200", "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-04T19:02:51Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-04T20:16:07Z"
  }
}