CVE-2026-27523
OpenClaw's sandbox bind validation could bypass allowed-root and blocked-path checks via symlink-parent missing-leaf paths
Impact
### Summary In `openclaw` up to and including **2026.2.23** (latest npm release as of **February 24, 2026**), sandbox bind-source validation could be bypassed when a bind source used a symlinked parent plus a non-existent leaf path. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `<= 2026.2.23` - Patched: `>= 2026.2.24` (planned next release) ### Root Cause `validateBindMounts` previously relied on full-path realpath only when the full source path already existed. For missing-leaf paths, parent symlink traversal was not fully canonicalized before allowed-root and blocked-path checks. ### Security Impact A source path that looked inside an allowed root could resolve outside that root (including blocked runtime paths) once the missing leaf was created, weakening sandbox bind-source boundary enforcement. ### Fix The validation path now canonicalizes through the nearest existing ancestor, then always re-checks the canonical path against both: - allowed source roots - blocked runtime paths ### Verification - `pnpm check` - `pnpm exec vitest run --config vitest.gateway.config.ts` - `pnpm test:fast` - Added regression tests for symlink-parent + missing-leaf bypass patterns. ### Fix Commit(s) - `b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1` ### Release Process Note `patched_versions` is pre-set to the planned next release (`2026.2.24`) so after npm publish the advisory can be published without further field edits. OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting. ### Publication Update (2026-02-25) `openclaw@2026.2.24` is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks `>= 2026.2.24` as patched.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | openclaw | <= 2026.2.23 | 2026.2.24 |
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions |
|---|---|---|
| Openclaw | Openclaw | before 2026.2.24 |
Weakness classification
References
- NVD record
- CVE.org record
- GitHub advisory
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/b5787e4abba0dcc6baf09051099f6773c1679ec1
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-sandbox-bind-validation-bypass-via-symlink-parent-missing-leaf-paths
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-27523