What is GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

### 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw has a CVSS score of 8.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw affects the following packages: openclaw (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

Update openclaw to 2026.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.4%, placing it in the 27th 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw?

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw was published on February 17, 2026 and was last updated on March 13, 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

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw

HIGH

OpenClaw has a Path Traversal in Plugin Installation

Also known asCVE-2026-28447

Published

Feb 17, 2026

Updated

Mar 13, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk27th percentile+0.31%

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.

Blast Radius

1 pkg affected

Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.

openclawnpm

4.3Mdownloads / 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

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openclaw. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update openclaw to 2026.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw. 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 GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works