CVE-2026-28453: Openclaw Path Traversal Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2026-28453 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw has zip slip path traversal in tar archive extraction. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.14.
CVE-2026-28453 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 8.1
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-28453
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.
npm install openclaw@2026.2.14Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls openclawHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-28453, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls openclawAnalyze 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 2026.2.14), 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
CVE-2026-28453 Affected Openclaw Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
openclaw
|
npm |
< 2026.2.14
|
2026.2.14
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-28453?
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-28453?
Is openclaw affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-28453?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-28453?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-28453?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-p25h-9q54-ffvw",
"modified" : "2026-03-06T00:59:34Z",
"published" : "2026-03-02T22:40:57Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-28453" ],
"summary" : "OpenClaw has Zip Slip path traversal in tar archive extraction",
"details" : "## Summary\nOpenClaw versions before 2026.2.14 did not sufficiently validate TAR archive entry paths during extraction. A crafted archive could use path traversal sequences (for example `../../...`) to write files outside the intended destination directory (Zip Slip).\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: `< 2026.2.14`\n- Fixed: `>= 2026.2.14`\n\n## Details\nThe affected code path is `extractArchive()` in `src/infra/archive.ts`. Prior to 2026.2.14, TAR extraction used `tar.x({ cwd: destDir })` without rejecting traversal and absolute entry paths.\n\nThis extraction is used by installation flows such as:\n- `openclaw plugins install …`\n- `openclaw hooks install …`\n\n## Impact\nIf a user installs an untrusted `.tar` / `.tgz` archive, an attacker can write files outside the extraction directory (within the permissions of the OpenClaw process). This can lead to configuration tampering and potentially code execution.\n\n## Mitigation\nUpgrade to `openclaw >= 2026.2.14`. Avoid installing untrusted plugin/hook archives.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `3aa94afcfd12104c683c9cad81faf434d0dadf87`\n\nOpenClaw thanks @xuemian168 for reporting.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
}, {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "openclaw"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2026.2.14"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-p25h-9q54-ffvw"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28453"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3aa94afcfd12104c683c9cad81faf434d0dadf87"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-zip-slip-path-traversal-in-tar-archive-extraction"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-02T22:40:57Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-05T22:16:17Z"
}
}