CVE-2026-28457
📋 TL;DR
OpenClaw versions before 2026.2.14 have a path traversal vulnerability in sandbox skill mirroring when enabled. Attackers can craft skill packages with traversal sequences in the name field to write files outside the sandbox workspace directory. This affects OpenClaw installations with sandbox skill mirroring enabled.
💻 Affected Systems
- OpenClaw
📦 What is this software?
Openclaw by Openclaw
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Arbitrary file write leading to remote code execution, data exfiltration, or system compromise if attacker can write to sensitive locations.
Likely Case
Unauthorized file writes to adjacent directories, potentially overwriting configuration files or planting malicious scripts.
If Mitigated
Limited to sandbox workspace directory with proper input validation and path sanitization.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to upload crafted skill packages and sandbox skill mirroring enabled.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2026.2.14
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-xw4p-pw82-hqr7
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update OpenClaw to version 2026.2.14 or later. 2. Restart the OpenClaw service. 3. Verify the fix by checking version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable sandbox skill mirroring
allDisable the vulnerable feature until patching is possible.
Edit OpenClaw configuration to set 'sandbox_skill_mirroring: false'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable sandbox skill mirroring feature in configuration.
- Restrict skill package uploads to trusted sources only.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check OpenClaw version and if sandbox skill mirroring is enabled in configuration.Check Version:
openclaw --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm OpenClaw version is 2026.2.14 or later and test skill upload with traversal sequences.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file write attempts outside sandbox workspace
- Skill uploads with suspicious name parameters containing ../ or absolute paths
Network Indicators:
- Skill package uploads to OpenClaw API endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="openclaw.log" AND ("../" OR "/etc/" OR "/root/") AND "skill_upload"