What is CVE-2026-28447?

### Summary OpenClaw's plugin installation path derivation could be abused by a malicious plugin `package.json` `name` to escape the intended extensions directory and write files to a parent directory. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `>= 2026.1.20, = 2026.2.1` - Latest published as of 2026-02-14: `2026.2.13` (not affected) ### Details In affected versions, the plugin installer derives the on-disk install directory from the plugin manifest name without robust validation. Example (POSIX / macOS / Linux): - Manifest name: `@ma

How severe is CVE-2026-28447?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-28447 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-28447?

CVE-2026-28447 affects the following packages: openclaw (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix CVE-2026-28447?

Update openclaw to 2026.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-28447 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-28447 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-2026-28447 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-2026-28447?

O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-28447 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Is CVE-2026-28447 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-28447 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-2026-28447?

CVE-2026-28447 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-2026-28447?

CVE-2026-28447 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-2026-28447 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-28447 was published on March 5, 2026 and was last updated on August 12, 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-2026-28447 — openclaw

Fix: openclaw/openclaw@d03eca8

CVE-2026-28447 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.

OpenClaw 2026.1.29-beta.1 < 2026.2.1 - Path Traversal in Plugin Installation via Package Name

Also known asGHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw

Published

Mar 5, 2026

Updated

Aug 12, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 23, 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-2026-28447.

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

2.5Mdownloads / week

Description

Summary

OpenClaw's plugin installation path derivation could be abused by a malicious plugin package.json name to escape the intended extensions directory and write files to a parent directory.

Affected Packages / Versions

Package: openclaw (npm)
Affected: >= 2026.1.20, < 2026.2.1
Fixed: >= 2026.2.1
Latest published as of 2026-02-14: 2026.2.13 (not affected)

Details

In affected versions, the plugin installer derives the on-disk install directory from the plugin manifest name without robust validation.

Example (POSIX / macOS / Linux):

Manifest name: @malicious/..
unscopedPackageName("@malicious/..") yields ..
The install directory becomes path.join(extensionsDir, ".."), which resolves to the parent of the extensions directory.

This can cause plugin files to be written into the OpenClaw state directory (default ~/.openclaw/) rather than a subdirectory of ~/.openclaw/extensions/.

Note: on Windows, affected versions also failed to sanitize backslashes (\\) in the derived directory name, which can enable deeper traversal via crafted pluginId strings.

Impact

This issue requires a user/operator to install untrusted plugin content (for example via openclaw plugins install). In many deployments, plugin installation is an operator-only action and may be performed on a separate machine; that operational separation significantly reduces exposure for the primary gateway/runtime host.

On hosts where untrusted plugins are installed, this can lead to unintended file writes outside the extensions directory (potentially overwriting files under the OpenClaw state directory). On Windows, the traversal surface may extend further, within the privileges of the user running OpenClaw.

Fix

Fixed in openclaw 2026.2.1 by validating plugin IDs and ensuring the resolved install directory remains within the configured extensions base directory.

Fix Commit(s)

d03eca8450dc493b198a88b105fd180895238e57

Thanks @logicx24 for reporting.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`openclaw`	≥ 2026.1.20&&< 2026.2.1	2026.2.1`npm install openclaw@2026.2.1`

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 2026.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-28447 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-2026-28447 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to CVE-2026-28447. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

### Summary OpenClaw's plugin installation path derivation could be abused by a malicious plugin `package.json` `name` to escape the intended extensions directory and write files to a parent directory. ### Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `>= 2026.1.20, < 2026.2.1` - Fixed: `>= 2026.2.1` - Latest published as of 2026-02-14: `2026.2.13` (not affected) ### Details In affected versions, the plugin installer derives the on-disk install directory from the plugin manifest name without robust validation. Example (POSIX / macOS / Linux): - Manifest name: `@ma

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2026-28447 in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds CVE-2026-28447 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