CVE-2026-32846: Openclaw Path Traversal Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hggm-x7r9-mm7v
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-32846 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) 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 is vulnerable to path traversal through path validation bypass. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.03.28.

CVE-2026-32846 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-32846
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hggm-x7r9-mm7v
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Openclaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2026-32846

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: 2026.03.28 
npm install openclaw@2026.03.28
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-2026-32846, 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 2026.03.28), 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

OpenClaw through 2026.3.23 (fixed in commit 4797bbc) contains a path traversal vulnerability in media parsing that allows attackers to read arbitrary files by bypassing path validation in the isLikelyLocalPath() and isValidMedia() functions. Attackers can exploit incomplete validation and the allowBareFilename bypass to reference files outside the intended application sandbox, resulting in disclosure of sensitive information including system files, environment files, and SSH keys.

CVE-2026-32846 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.03.28
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.03.28
2026.03.28

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-f6pf-4gjx-c94r
NVD — CVE-2026-32846 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32846
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/54642
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4797bbc5b96e2cca5532e43b58915c051746fe37
Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-media-parsing-path-traversal-to-arbitrary-file-read

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-32846?
CVE-2026-32846 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw is vulnerable to Path Traversal through path validation bypass under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Openclaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.03.28 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-32846?
Upgrading to 2026.03.28 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.03.28. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.03.28 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-32846?
CVE-2026-32846 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-32846?
CVE-2026-32846 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (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.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-32846?
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-hggm-x7r9-mm7v",
  "modified" : "2026-06-08T20:14:00Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T18:31:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-32846" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw is vulnerable to Path Traversal through path validation bypass",
  "details" : "OpenClaw through 2026.3.23 (fixed in commit 4797bbc) contains a path traversal vulnerability in media parsing that allows attackers to read arbitrary files by bypassing path validation in the isLikelyLocalPath() and isValidMedia() functions. Attackers can exploit incomplete validation and the allowBareFilename bypass to reference files outside the intended application sandbox, resulting in disclosure of sensitive information including system files, environment files, and SSH keys.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.03.28"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.23"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-f6pf-4gjx-c94r"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32846"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/54642"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4797bbc5b96e2cca5532e43b58915c051746fe37"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-media-parsing-path-traversal-to-arbitrary-file-read"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-30T13:29:48Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-26T17:16:37Z"
  }
}