Out-of-workspace file manipulation via symlink race
Published Apr 23, 2026 · Updated Apr 23, 2026
TOCTOU race in OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 allows local users to manipulate files outside the workspace through sandbox mutations. The apply_patch remove and mkdir paths validate a workspace pathname and then perform the mutation separately, allowing a directory symlink to be rebound between those steps. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access, a concurrent agent operation, and winning a high-complexity race; documented consequences include out-of-root deletion and directory creation.
Summary
What happened
TOCTOU race in OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 allows local users to manipulate files outside the workspace through sandbox mutations. The apply_patch remove and mkdir paths validate a workspace pathname and then perform the mutation separately, allowing a directory symlink to be rebound between those steps. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access, a concurrent agent operation, and winning a high-complexity race; documented consequences include out-of-root deletion and directory creation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-41338
- Published
- Apr 23, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2026
- Vendor
- OpenClaw Foundation
- Product
- OpenClaw
- Classifications
- CWE-367
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 23, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <2026.3.31
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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