CVE-2026-100542 OpenClaw before 2026.8.1 Extraction Limit Bypass via tar.bz2
Attackers can bypass extraction limits in OpenClaw via crafted tar.bz2 archives, causing disk or inode exhaustion when operators install malicious skills.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-100542?
CVE-2026-100542 is a low-severity denial of service vulnerability in OpenClaw, published on 26 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
OpenClaw (npm package 'openclaw') versions >= 2026.5.28 and < 2026.8.1 mishandle archive listings in the tar.bz2 skill installer: bounded command-output suffixes were treated as complete listings of the archive. A crafted .tar.bz2/.tbz2 skill archive can push prohibited entries out of both retained listings so that entry-count and size checks pass, and the archive is then extracted in full. If an operator approves installation of such a malicious or compromised skill archive, over-limit files or entry counts are persisted in the skill tools directory, consuming disk space or inodes. The issue bypasses OpenClaw's extraction budgets but does not by itself execute archive contents. Fixed in 2026.8.1.
Weakness: CWE-400
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-100542?
How do I fix CVE-2026-100542?
Upgrade to a fixed version.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-100542 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-100542 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-5966-v5hf-7x84, GHSA-6xpv-wwr5-265h, MINI-p48j-7qwm-r62f.