CVE-2026-41397: OpenClaw OpenShell Mirror Sync — Sandbox Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cwf8-44x6-32c2
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CVSS 9.6
CWE-59 CWE-434
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-41397 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.6) openshell mirror sync — sandbox vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting OpenClaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openshell mirror sync — sandbox escape via unrestricted file sync + symlink traversal. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.3.31.

CVE-2026-41397 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-41397
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cwf8-44x6-32c2
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.6
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: 9.6

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-41397

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: 2026.3.31 
npm install openclaw@2026.3.31
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-2026-41397, 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 2026.3.31), 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

## Summary OpenShell Mirror Sync: Sandbox Escape via Unrestricted File Sync + Symlink Traversal ## Current Maintainer Triage - Status: narrow - Normalized severity: high - Assessment: v2026.3.28 still has the mirror-boundary bug because shipped c02ee8 only excluded hooks while unreleased 3b9dab is the first full symlink-free upload and download hardening. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31` - Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.28` - Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31` - First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.31` ## Fix Commit(s) - `c02ee8a3a4cb390b23afdf21317aa8b2096854d1` — 2026-03-25T19:59:07Z - `3b9dab0ece4643a9643e6a45459f5c709d3ce320` — 2026-03-30T14:51:44+01:00 OpenClaw thanks @AntAISecurityLab for reporting.

CVE-2026-41397 Affected OpenClaw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2026.3.31
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openclaw
npm/openclaw
npm
< 2026.3.31
2026.3.31

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-cwf8-44x6-32c2
NVD — CVE-2026-41397 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41397
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3b9dab0ece4643a9643e6a45459f5c709d3ce320
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/c02ee8a3a4cb390b23afdf21317aa8b2096854d1
OpenClaw Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw
OpenClaw Release RELEASE
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.31
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-escape-via-unrestricted-file-sync-and-symlink-traversal

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41397?
CVE-2026-41397 is a security vulnerability in OpenClaw involving OpenShell Mirror Sync — Sandbox Escape via Unrestricted File Sync + Symlink Traversal under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which OpenClaw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.3.31 across affected packages: openclaw.
What version fixes CVE-2026-41397?
Upgrading to 2026.3.31 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openclaw affected?
Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.3.31. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.3.31 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-41397?
CVE-2026-41397 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.6 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-41397?
CVE-2026-41397 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-2026-41397?
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-cwf8-44x6-32c2",
  "modified" : "2026-05-06T21:22:37Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-03T02:49:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-41397" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw: OpenShell Mirror Sync — Sandbox Escape via Unrestricted File Sync + Symlink Traversal",
  "details" : "## Summary\nOpenShell Mirror Sync: Sandbox Escape via Unrestricted File Sync + Symlink Traversal\n\n## Current Maintainer Triage\n- Status: narrow\n- Normalized severity: high\n- Assessment: v2026.3.28 still has the mirror-boundary bug because shipped c02ee8 only excluded hooks while unreleased 3b9dab is the first full symlink-free upload and download hardening.\n\n## Affected Packages / Versions\n- Package: `openclaw` (npm)\n- Latest published npm version: `2026.3.31`\n- Vulnerable version range: `<=2026.3.28`\n- Patched versions: `>= 2026.3.31`\n- First stable tag containing the fix: `v2026.3.31`\n\n## Fix Commit(s)\n- `c02ee8a3a4cb390b23afdf21317aa8b2096854d1` — 2026-03-25T19:59:07Z\n- `3b9dab0ece4643a9643e6a45459f5c709d3ce320` — 2026-03-30T14:51:44+01:00\n\nOpenClaw thanks @AntAISecurityLab for reporting.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.3.31"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2026.3.28"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-cwf8-44x6-32c2"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41397"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/3b9dab0ece4643a9643e6a45459f5c709d3ce320"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/c02ee8a3a4cb390b23afdf21317aa8b2096854d1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.3.31"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-escape-via-unrestricted-file-sync-and-symlink-traversal"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-434", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-03T02:49:14Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-28T19:37:43Z"
  }
}