CVE-2026-32013: Openclaw OpenClaw Gateway Agents.files Symlink Escape Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fgvx-58p6-gjwc
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-59 CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32013 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 8.8) openclaw gateway agents.files symlink escape vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw gateway agents.files symlink escape allowed out-of-workspace file read/write. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.25.

CVE-2026-32013 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32013
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fgvx-58p6-gjwc
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
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: 8.8

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:H/A:H).

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 High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-32013

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: 2026.2.25 
npm install openclaw@2026.2.25
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-2026-32013, 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 2026.2.25), 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

## Impact The gateway `agents.files.get` and `agents.files.set` methods allowed symlink traversal for allowlisted workspace files. A symlinked allowlisted file (for example `AGENTS.md`) could resolve outside the agent workspace and be read/written by the gateway process. This could enable arbitrary host file read/write within the gateway process permissions, and chained impact up to code execution depending on which files are overwritten. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.24` - Latest published vulnerable version at patch time: `2026.2.24` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.2.25` ## Remediation `agents.files` now resolves real workspace paths, enforces containment for resolved targets, rejects out-of-workspace symlink targets, and keeps in-workspace symlink targets supported. The patch also adds gateway regression tests for blocked escapes and valid in-workspace symlink behavior. ## Fix Commit(s) - `125f4071bcbc0de32e769940d07967db47f09d3d` ## Release Process Note `patched_versions` is intentionally pre-set to the release (`2026.2.25`). Advisory published with npm release `2026.2.25`. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

CVE-2026-32013 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.2.25
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.2.25
2026.2.25

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-fgvx-58p6-gjwc
NVD — CVE-2026-32013 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32013
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/125f4071bcbc0de32e769940d07967db47f09d3d
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-symlink-traversal-in-agents-files-methods

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32013?
CVE-2026-32013 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw gateway agents.files symlink escape allowed out-of-workspace file read/write under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.25 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32013?
Upgrading to 2026.2.25 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.25. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.25 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32013?
CVE-2026-32013 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32013?
CVE-2026-32013 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-2026-32013?
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-fgvx-58p6-gjwc",
  "modified" : "2026-03-20T21:36:47Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-02T22:40:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32013" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw gateway agents.files symlink escape allowed out-of-workspace file read/write",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nThe gateway `agents.files.get` and `agents.files.set` methods allowed symlink traversal for allowlisted workspace files. A symlinked allowlisted file (for example `AGENTS.md`) could resolve outside the agent workspace and be read/written by the gateway process.\n\nThis could enable arbitrary host file read/write within the gateway process permissions, and chained impact up to code execution depending on which files are overwritten.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected versions: `<= 2026.2.24`\n- Latest published vulnerable version at patch time: `2026.2.24`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.2.25` \n\n## Remediation\n\n`agents.files` now resolves real workspace paths, enforces containment for resolved targets, rejects out-of-workspace symlink targets, and keeps in-workspace symlink targets supported. The patch also adds gateway regression tests for blocked escapes and valid in-workspace symlink behavior.\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n\n- `125f4071bcbc0de32e769940d07967db47f09d3d`\n\n## Release Process Note\n\n`patched_versions` is intentionally pre-set to the release (`2026.2.25`). Advisory published with npm release `2026.2.25`.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/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" : "2026.2.25"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-fgvx-58p6-gjwc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32013"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/125f4071bcbc0de32e769940d07967db47f09d3d"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-symlink-traversal-in-agents-files-methods"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-02T22:40:36Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-19T22:16:34Z"
  }
}