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Low, CVSS 3.3amended

OpenClaw's Control UI Static File Handler Follows Symlinks and Allows Out-of-Root File Read

CVE-2026-32020GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf

What to do

Vendor fix available. Upgrade each affected package to the fixed version on its release line (openclaw 2026.2.22), redeploy, then verify what is actually installed.

This page has no inventory attached, so it cannot say whether you are affected. A vendor fix is not proof that your deployment is fixed.

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Affected packages

  • npm openclaw

    Affected
    < 2026.2.22
    Fixed in
    2026.2.22

Sources

Severity and exploitation
Exploitation
No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.
CVSS
3.3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
EPSS
  • CVE-2026-32020: 0.14% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 3.03 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.
Source description

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary The Control UI static file handler previously validated asset paths lexically and then served files with APIs that follow symbolic links. A symlink placed under the Control UI root could cause out-of-root file reads. Affected Packages / Versions - Package: openclaw (npm) - Latest published version observed: 2026.2.21-2 - Affected versions: <=2026.2.21-2 - Planned fixed release version: 2026.2.22 Technical Details The vulnerable flow was in src/gateway/control-ui.ts, where path.join(...) + string-prefix checks were followed by file reads that resolved symlinks. This allowed directory-confinement bypasses when symlinks existed inside the Control UI root. The fix now enforces realpath containment and verifies file identity before serving Control UI assets and SPA fallback index.html. Impact - Vulnerability type: path traversal / external file exposure via symlink following. - Primary impact: confidentiality (out-of-root file read). - Severity guidance: low in supported…

Dates and revisions
Published by the source
Last modified by the source
Source last checked
  1. Revision 2 · amended ·

    Amended from ghsa record GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf

  2. Revision 1 · created ·

    Published from osv record GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf

Agent brief

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-32020

Advisory: OpenClaw's Control UI Static File Handler Follows Symlinks and Allows Out-of-Root File Read
IDs: CVE-2026-32020, GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-32020 (revision 2, 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: Low (CVSS 3.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.2.22. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected < 2026.2.22; fixed in 2026.2.22

## 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-5ghc-98wh-gwwf (OSV record GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.22 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-5ghc-98wh-gwwf lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.2.22)

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