CVE-2026-34426: OpenClaw Windows Media Loaders Accepted Remote-host Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h3x4-hc5v-v2gm
Share
CWE-40
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-34426 is a MODERATE windows media loaders accepted remote-host vulnerability (CWE-40: Path Traversal: '\\UNC\share\name\' (Windows UNC Share)) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves windows media loaders accepted remote-host file urls before local path validation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.22.

CVE-2026-34426 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-34426
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h3x4-hc5v-v2gm
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-40: Path Traversal: '\\UNC\share\name\' (Windows UNC Share)
Affected Product OpenClaw
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-34426

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: 2026.3.22 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.22
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-2026-34426, 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 2026.3.22), 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-40: Path Traversal: '\\UNC\share\name\' (Windows UNC Share), where the product accepts input that identifies a windows unc share ('\\unc\share\name') that potentially redirects access to an unintended location or arbitrary file. 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 Windows local-media handling accepted remote-host file URLs and UNC-style paths before local-path validation, so network-hosted file targets could be treated as local content. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: < 2026.3.22 - Fixed: >= 2026.3.22 - Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`) - Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2` ## Fix Commit(s) - `4fd7feb0fd4ec16c48ed983980dba79a09b3aaf5` - `93880717f1cd34feaa45e74e939b7a5256288901` ## Release Status The fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`. ## Code-Level Confirmation - src/infra/local-file-access.ts now rejects remote-host file: URLs and UNC/network paths as non-local input. - src/media/web-media.ts, src/media-understanding/attachments.normalize.ts, and src/agents/sandbox-paths.ts all route through the shared local-file guard. OpenClaw thanks @RacerZ-fighting, @Fushuling for reporting.

CVE-2026-34426 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.22
2026.3.22

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-h3x4-hc5v-v2gm
NVD — CVE-2026-34426 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34426
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/59182
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4fd7feb0fd4ec16c48ed983980dba79a09b3aaf5
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/93880717f1cd34feaa45e74e939b7a5256288901
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b57b680c0c34de907d57f60c38fb358e82aef8f7
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-approval-bypass-via-environment-variable-normalization

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-34426?
CVE-2026-34426 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving Windows media loaders accepted remote-host file URLs before local path validation under CWE-40: Path Traversal: '\\UNC\share\name\' (Windows UNC Share).
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.22 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-34426?
Upgrading to 2026.3.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.22. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.22 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-34426?
CVE-2026-34426 is classified under CWE-40: Path Traversal: '\\UNC\share\name\' (Windows UNC Share) (The product accepts input that identifies a Windows UNC share ('\\UNC\share\name') that potentially redirects access to an unintended location or arbitrary file.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-34426?
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-h3x4-hc5v-v2gm",
  "modified" : "2026-04-10T20:42:28Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-26T19:07:55Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-34426" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: Windows media loaders accepted remote-host file URLs before local path validation",
  "details" : "## Summary\nWindows local-media handling accepted remote-host file URLs and UNC-style paths before local-path validation, so network-hosted file targets could be treated as local content.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Affected: < 2026.3.22\n- Fixed: >= 2026.3.22\n- Latest released tag checked: `v2026.3.23-2` (`630f1479c44f78484dfa21bb407cbe6f171dac87`)\n- Latest published npm version checked: `2026.3.23-2`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `4fd7feb0fd4ec16c48ed983980dba79a09b3aaf5`\n- `93880717f1cd34feaa45e74e939b7a5256288901`\n\n## Release Status\nThe fix shipped in `v2026.3.22` and remains present in `v2026.3.23` and `v2026.3.23-2`.\n\n## Code-Level Confirmation\n- src/infra/local-file-access.ts now rejects remote-host file: URLs and UNC/network paths as non-local input.\n- src/media/web-media.ts, src/media-understanding/attachments.normalize.ts, and src/agents/sandbox-paths.ts all route through the shared local-file guard.\n\nOpenClaw thanks @RacerZ-fighting, @Fushuling for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
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      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-h3x4-hc5v-v2gm"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34426"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/59182"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4fd7feb0fd4ec16c48ed983980dba79a09b3aaf5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/93880717f1cd34feaa45e74e939b7a5256288901"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b57b680c0c34de907d57f60c38fb358e82aef8f7"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-approval-bypass-via-environment-variable-normalization"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-40" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-26T19:07:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}