Summary
OpenClaw: Node system.run approval bypass via parent-symlink cwd rebind
For host=node executions, approval context could be bypassed after approval-time by rebinding a writable parent symlink in cwd while preserving the visible cwd string.
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Affected:
<= 2026.2.25 - Fixed:
>= 2026.2.26(planned next npm release)
Fix Commit(s)
78a7ff2d50fb3bcef351571cb5a0f21430a340c1d82c042b09727a6148f3ca651b254c4a677aff26d06632ba45a8482192792c55d5ff0b2e21abb0a74e690e09c746408b5e27617a20cb3fdc5190dbda4b4718c8dfce2e2c48404aa5088af7c013bed60b
Release Process Note
patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.26). Once npm [email protected] is published, publish this advisory directly without further version-field edits.
OpenClaw thanks @tdjackey for reporting.
Impact
A command approved for one filesystem location could execute from a different location if a mutable parent symlink changed between approval and execution.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
- Added immutable approval-time plan preparation (
system.run.prepare) andsystemRunPlanV2canonical fields (argv,cwd,agentId,sessionKey). - Enforced canonical plan values through approval request storage and forwarding-time sanitization.
- Rejected mutable parent-symlink path components during approval-plan building to block symlink rebind bypass.
- Follow-up refactors centralized command catalogs and approval context/error handling to reduce future drift.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-27545? CVE-2026-27545 is a high-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.2.25. It is fixed in 2026.2.26.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-27545? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.2.25 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-27545? Yes. CVE-2026-27545 is fixed in 2026.2.26. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-27545 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-27545 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-27545 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-27545? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.26 or later.