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GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw
No affected components available
Summary
OpenClaw's plugin installation path derivation could be abused by a malicious plugin package.json name to escape the intended extensions directory and write files to a parent directory.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected:
>= 2026.1.20, < 2026.2.1 - Fixed:
>= 2026.2.1 - Latest published as of 2026-02-14:
2026.2.13(not affected)
Details
In affected versions, the plugin installer derives the on-disk install directory from the plugin manifest name without robust validation.
Example (POSIX / macOS / Linux):
- Manifest name:
@malicious/.. unscopedPackageName("@malicious/..")yields..- The install directory becomes
path.join(extensionsDir, ".."), which resolves to the parent of the extensions directory.
This can cause plugin files to be written into the OpenClaw state directory (default ~/.openclaw/) rather than a subdirectory of ~/.openclaw/extensions/.
Note: on Windows, affected versions also failed to sanitize backslashes (\\) in the derived directory name, which can enable deeper traversal via crafted pluginId strings.
Impact
This issue requires a user/operator to install untrusted plugin content (for example via openclaw plugins install). In many deployments, plugin installation is an operator-only action and may be performed on a separate machine; that operational separation significantly reduces exposure for the primary gateway/runtime host.
On hosts where untrusted plugins are installed, this can lead to unintended file writes outside the extensions directory (potentially overwriting files under the OpenClaw state directory). On Windows, the traversal surface may extend further, within the privileges of the user running OpenClaw.
Fix
Fixed in openclaw 2026.2.1 by validating plugin IDs and ensuring the resolved install directory remains within the configured extensions base directory.
Fix Commit(s)
- d03eca8450dc493b198a88b105fd180895238e57
Thanks @logicx24 for reporting.
The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without needing physical access. It is easy for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker does not need any special privileges or access rights. The attacker needs the user to perform some action, like clicking a link. The impact is confined to the system where the vulnerability exists. There is a high impact on the integrity of the data. There is a high impact on the availability of the system.
Exploitation activity has been observed. Apply available patches or mitigations urgently.
The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.
We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.
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