High

OpenClaw: Hardlink alias checks could bypass workspace-only file boundaries in specific configurations

  • Disclosed: 04.03.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Summary

In certain workspace-restricted configurations, OpenClaw could follow hardlink aliases inside the workspace that reference files outside the workspace boundary.

By default, tools.fs.workspaceOnly is off. This primarily affects deployments that intentionally enable workspace-only filesystem restrictions (and workspace-only apply_patch checks).

Impact

  • Confidentiality: out-of-workspace files could be read through in-workspace hardlink aliases.
  • Integrity: out-of-workspace files could be modified through in-workspace hardlink aliases.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: openclaw (npm)
  • Latest published version at triage time: 2026.2.24
  • Affected range: <= 2026.2.24
  • Planned patched version: 2026.2.25

Fix Commit(s)

  • 04d91d0319b82fd4de91ed05e9fc5219ff2ab64e (main)

Remediation

OpenClaw now rejects hardlinked final-file aliases during workspace boundary validation for:

  • workspace-only path checks (read / write / edit)
  • workspace-only apply_patch read/write paths
  • sandbox mount-root path-safety checks

Regression tests were added for apply_patch, workspace fs tools, and sandbox fs bridge hardlink alias escapes.

OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
npm package openclaw < 2026.2.25 2026.2.25

References

CVSS score -
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-59, CWE-668
Platform
npm
Package
openclaw
Disclosed
04.03.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-3jx4-q2m7-r496 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: openclaw

All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (588) in the archive
Total entries
588
First → latest
02.2026 07.2026
Without a fix
9
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 20
  • High 215
  • Medium 299
  • Low 54

Disclosures per year

  1. 2026: 588
Severity:
  1. OpenClaw: Hardlink alias checks could bypass workspace-only file boundaries in specific configurations this entry
    High ghsa-3jx4-q2m7-r496 < 2026.2.25 2026.2.25
  2. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-53811 < 2026.5.7 2026.5.7
  3. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-53806 < 2026.5.12 2026.5.12
  4. High · 7.8 CVE-2026-53813 < 2026.4.25 2026.4.25
  5. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-53834 < 2026.4.27 2026.4.27
  6. Critical CVE-2026-34507 < 2026.4.29 2026.4.29
  7. High CVE-2026-53823 < 2026.5.3 2026.5.3
  8. High · 8.4 CVE-2026-53814 < 2026.5.20 2026.5.20
  9. High · 6.5 CVE-2026-53815 < 2026.5.19 2026.5.19
  10. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53849 < 2026.5.7 2026.5.7
  11. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53857 < 2026.5.3 2026.5.3
  12. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53866 < 2026.5.12 2026.5.12
  13. High · 8.1 CVE-2026-53864 < 2026.5.26 2026.5.26
  14. Critical · 9.8 CVE-2026-44109 < 2026.4.15 2026.4.15
  15. Critical · 8.1 CVE-2026-43585 < 2026.4.15 2026.4.15
  16. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-43530 >= 2026.2.23, < 2026.4.12 2026.4.12
  17. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-42434 >= 2026.4.5, < 2026.4.10 2026.4.10
  18. High · 7.5 CVE-2026-42437 >= 2026.4.9, < 2026.4.10 2026.4.10
  19. High CVE-2026-41393 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  20. Critical · 8.2 CVE-2026-41296 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  21. High · 8.8 CVE-2026-41352 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
  22. High · 7.8 CVE-2026-41396 < 2026.3.31 2026.3.31
Show more (20) Showing 81 of 235

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