What is CVE-2026-27523?

### 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: ` = 2026.2.24` (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 blo

How severe is CVE-2026-27523?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-27523 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-27523?

CVE-2026-27523 affects the following packages: openclaw (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix CVE-2026-27523?

Update openclaw to 2026.2.24 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-27523 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-27523 in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-27523 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2026-27523?

O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-27523 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Is CVE-2026-27523 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-27523 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-27523?

CVE-2026-27523 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.4%, placing it in the 29th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-27523?

CVE-2026-27523 is classified as Path Traversal (CWE-22). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2026-27523 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-27523 was published on March 18, 2026 and was last updated on August 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2026-27523 — openclaw

Fix: openclaw/openclaw@b5787e4

CVE-2026-27523 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.

OpenClaw < 2026.2.24 - Sandbox Bind Validation Bypass via Symlink-Parent Missing-Leaf Paths

Also known asGHSA-m8v2-6wwh-r4gc

Published

Mar 18, 2026

Updated

Aug 17, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 25, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-27523.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs29th percentile — riskier than 29% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.

133other npm packages depend on this — each one inherits the vulnerability until it's patched upstream

openclawnpm

2.8Mdownloads / week

Description

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)

[email protected] is published on npm and contains the fix commit(s) listed above. This advisory now marks >= 2026.2.24 as patched.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`openclaw`	all versions	2026.2.24`npm install openclaw@2026.2.24`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update openclaw to 2026.2.24 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-27523 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-27523 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to CVE-2026-27523. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

### 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 blo

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2026-27523 in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds CVE-2026-27523 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works