Critical Path Traversal Vulnerability in OpenClaw Plugin Installation

openclaw Updated 23 Feb 2026

Summary

17/02/2026

Disclosed on

CRITICAL

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

Critical

Severity

9.3

CVSS Score

GHSA-qrq5-wjgg-rvqw: OpenClaw has a Path Traversal in Plugin Installation. Affects openclaw versions >= 2026.1.20, < 2026.2.1. Fixed in 2026.2.1. How to fix ↓

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Background

OpenClaw is an open-source framework designed for building and managing plugins, enabling users to extend its functionality easily. It allows developers to create plugins that can be installed and managed through a simple interface. However, a significant vulnerability exists in the plugin installation process, which could allow malicious actors to exploit the system.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability arises from the way OpenClaw derives the installation path for plugins. Specifically, the plugin installer does not adequately validate the plugin manifest name, allowing a malicious plugin to escape the intended extensions directory. For instance, a plugin with a manifest name like '@malicious/..' can manipulate the installation path to write files to the parent directory of the extensions directory. This can lead to unintended file writes in the OpenClaw state directory, potentially overwriting critical files. On Windows systems, the issue is exacerbated by the failure to sanitize backslashes, allowing deeper traversal attacks.

How To Fix

Latest published version: 2026.10.6 as of 22 Oct 2026

npm install openclaw@2026.10.6

Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.

If you need the minimum change

2026.2.1

This is the first release that contains the fix.

npm install openclaw@2026.2.1

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Workaround

As a temporary workaround, avoid installing untrusted plugins until the package is updated. If you must install a plugin, ensure it comes from a trusted source and verify its manifest name to prevent potential path traversal attacks.

Conclusion

The path traversal vulnerability in OpenClaw's plugin installation process poses a significant risk to users who install untrusted plugins. It is crucial to update to the patched version to mitigate this risk. Users should also consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in their applications.

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