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OpenClaw: Sandbox `writeFile` commit could race outside the validated path

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 12, 2026 in openclaw/openclaw • Updated Mar 13, 2026

Package

npm openclaw (npm)

Affected versions

< 2026.3.11

Patched versions

2026.3.11

Description

Summary

In affected versions of openclaw, the sandbox fs-bridge writeFile commit step used an unanchored container path during the final move into place. An attacker racing parent-path changes inside the sandbox could redirect the committed file outside the validated sandbox path.

Impact

This is a sandbox boundary bypass. In-sandbox code could win a time-of-check-time-of-use race and cause host-approved writeFile operations to land outside the validated writable path within the container mount namespace.

Affected Packages and Versions

  • Package: openclaw (npm)
  • Affected versions: < 2026.3.11
  • Fixed in: 2026.3.11

Technical Details

The hardening work for anchored remove, rename, and mkdir operations did not fully cover the writeFile commit path. The final mv still used the raw target path, leaving a race window between safety revalidation and the in-container commit step.

Fix

OpenClaw now anchors the writeFile commit path to the canonical parent directory before the final move. The fix shipped in openclaw@2026.3.11.

Workarounds

Upgrade to 2026.3.11 or later.

References

@steipete steipete published to openclaw/openclaw Mar 12, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 13, 2026
Reviewed Mar 13, 2026
Last updated Mar 13, 2026

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-xvx8-77m6-gwg6

Source code

Credits

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