Sandbox escape via uncanonicalized symlink parents
Published Mar 18, 2026 · Updated Mar 18, 2026
Path traversal in OpenClaw before 2026.2.24 allows local users to escape sandbox bind-source restrictions through crafted paths. The validateBindMounts function applied full-path realpath only to existing sources, so a missing leaf under a symlinked parent was checked without canonicalizing that parent. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to create the symlink and influence a bind source; the mount can expose paths outside allowed roots or blocked runtime paths, including write access when configured read-write.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in OpenClaw before 2026.2.24 allows local users to escape sandbox bind-source restrictions through crafted paths. The validateBindMounts function applied full-path realpath only to existing sources, so a missing leaf under a symlinked parent was checked without canonicalizing that parent. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to create the symlink and influence a bind source; the mount can expose paths outside allowed roots or blocked runtime paths, including write access when configured read-write.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-27523
- Published
- Mar 18, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 18, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-22, CWE-59, T1611
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 18, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <2026.2.24
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
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Your stack
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