CVE-2026-28457

Overview

In affected versions, OpenClaw’s sandbox skill mirroring used the skill’s frontmatter name as part of the destination path when copying skills into the sandbox workspace. A crafted skill name containing traversal segments (for example ../) or an absolute path could cause the copy to write outside <sandbox_workspace>/skills/.

Attack Requirements

• Attacker can provide a skill package (controls SKILL.md frontmatter).
• Victim runs with sandbox enabled and skill mirroring into the sandbox workspace.

Affected Packages / Versions

• openclaw (npm): < 2026.2.14

Fixed In

• openclaw (npm): >= 2026.2.14

Fix Commit(s)

• 3eb6a31b6fcf8268456988bfa8e3637d373438c2

OpenClaw thanks @1seal for reporting.

• Files may be written outside the sandbox workspace root (within the permissions of the user running OpenClaw).

Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.

CVE-2026-28457 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-28457? CVE-2026-28457 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-28457? CVE-2026-28457 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-28457? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.14 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-28457? Yes. CVE-2026-28457 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-28457 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-28457 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-28457 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-28457? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.14 or later.