OpenClaw: Node system.run approval bypass via parent-symlink cwd rebind

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

8.7 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2026-27545: 0.10% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 0.76 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary For host=node executions, approval context could be bypassed after approval-time by rebinding a writable parent symlink in cwd while preserving the visible cwd string. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Affected: <= 2026.2.25 - Fixed: = 2026.2.26 (planned next npm release) Impact A command approved for one filesystem location could execute from a different location if a mutable parent symlink changed between approval and execution. Fix - Added immutable approval-time plan preparation (system.run.prepare) and systemRunPlanV2 canonical fields (argv, cwd, agentId, sessionKey). - Enforced canonical plan values through approval request storage and forwarding-time sanitization. - Rejected mutable parent-symlink path components during approval-plan building to block symlink rebind bypass. - Follow-up refactors centralized command catalogs and approval context/error handling to reduce future drift. Fix Commit(s) - 78a7ff2d50fb3bcef351571cb5a0f21430a340c1 -…

Published by the source

2 Mar 2026, 23:35 UTC

Last modified by the source

18 Mar 2026, 22:01 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-27545

Advisory: OpenClaw: Node system.run approval bypass via parent-symlink cwd rebind
IDs: CVE-2026-27545, GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-27545 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.7)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.2.26. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.2.25; fixed in 2026.2.26

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls openclaw --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on openclaw.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2 (OSV record GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.26 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-f7ww-2725-qvw2 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.2.25)

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