Summary
OpenClaw has agent avatar symlink traversal in gateway session metadata
A crafted local avatar path could follow a symlink outside the agent workspace and return arbitrary file contents as a base64 data: URL in gateway responses.
Affected Components
src/gateway/session-utils.ts(resolveIdentityAvatarUrl)
Affected Packages / Versions
- Package:
openclaw(npm) - Introduced:
v2026.1.21 - Affected published versions:
<= 2026.2.21-2 - Planned patched version:
2026.2.22
Fix Commit(s)
3d0337504349954237d09e4d957df5cb844d5e77
OpenClaw thanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.
Impact
- Confidentiality impact: local file read in the gateway process context.
- Exfiltration path:
agents.listcan return the resultingavatarUrlpayload.
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
- Resolve workspace and avatar paths with
realpathand enforce realpath containment. - Open files with
O_NOFOLLOWwhen available. - Compare pre-open and opened file identity (
dev/ino) to block swap races. - Add regression tests for outside-workspace symlink rejection and in-workspace symlink allowance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH? GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.22. It is fixed in 2026.2.22.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.22 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH? Yes. GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH is fixed in 2026.2.22. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH 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 GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH 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 GHSA-9MPH-4F7V-FMVH? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.22 or later.