CVE-2026-26972 OpenClaw has a Path Traversal in Browser Download Functionality
Authenticated attackers can exploit path traversal in browser downloads to write files outside the intended directory in OpenClaw.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-26972?
CVE-2026-26972 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw, published on 19 Feb 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant. In versions 2026.1.12 through 2026.2.12, OpenClaw browser download helpers accepted an unsanitized output path. When invoked via the browser control gateway routes, this allowed path traversal to write downloads outside the intended OpenClaw temp downloads directory. This issue is not exposed via the AI agent tool schema (no `download` action). Exploitation requires authenticated CLI access or an authenticated gateway RPC token. Version 2026.2.13 fixes the issue.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-26972?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including openclaw. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
openclaw npm | From 2026.1.12 | 2026.2.13 |
openclaw npm | From 2026.1.12 | 2026.2.13 |
Products include Openclaw Openclaw.
How do I fix CVE-2026-26972?
Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.13 or later.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-26972 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-26972 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Openclaw Openclaw
- CVE-2026-28363 Security feature bypass in OpenClaw
- CVE-2026-30741 Code injection in n/a
- CVE-2026-33579 OpenClaw < 2026.3.28 - Privilege Escalation via Missing Caller Scope Validation in Device Pair Approval
- CVE-2026-32922 OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Privilege Escalation via Unvalidated Scope in device.token.rotate
- CVE-2026-32978 OpenClaw < 2026.3.11 - Approval Bypass via Unrecognized Script Runners
Sources
Also known as GHSA-xwjm-j929-xq7c.