GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 — openclaw
Fix: openclaw/openclaw@9abf014GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 is a CWE-367 vulnerability in openclaw. A fix is available for openclaw — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenClaw's skills-install-download can be redirected outside the tools root by rebinding the validated base path
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 GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
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
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.
openclawnpmDescription
OpenClaw's skills download installer validated the intended per-skill tools root lexically, but later reused that mutable path while downloading and copying the archive into place. If a local attacker could rebind that tools-root path between validation and the final write, the installer could be redirected to write outside the intended tools directory.
The fix pins the canonical per-skill tools root immediately after validation and derives later download/copy paths from that canonical root, so rebinding the lexical path fails closed instead of redirecting the write.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Latest published vulnerable version:
2026.3.7 - Affected range:
<= 2026.3.7 - Fixed in released version:
2026.3.8
Fix Commit(s)
9abf014f3502009faf9c73df5ca2cff719e54639
Release Verification
- Verified fixed in GitHub release
v2026.3.8published on March 9, 2026. - Verified
npm view openclaw versionresolves to2026.3.8. - Verified the release contains the regression test covering tools-root rebinding and that the test passes against the
v2026.3.8tree.
Thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | openclaw | all versions | 2026.3.8npm install openclaw@2026.3.8 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
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 2026.3.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 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 GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-vhwf-4x96-vqx2 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.