Vulnerability Database

328,409

Total vulnerabilities in the database

OpenClaw has a path traversal in apply_patch could write/delete files outside the workspace

Summary

In affected versions, when apply_patch was enabled and the agent ran without filesystem sandbox containment, crafted paths could cause file writes/deletes outside the configured workspace directory.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: openclaw (npm)
  • Affected: <= 2026.2.13
  • Fixed: >= 2026.2.14

Details

The non-sandbox path resolution in apply_patch did not enforce workspace containment. Inputs like ../../... or absolute paths could escape the working directory in non-sandboxed mode.

Impact

Practical impact depends on deployment and who can trigger tool execution. This is most relevant when tool invocation is exposed to less-trusted callers or when operators expected workspace-only containment.

Workarounds

  • Keep tools.exec.applyPatch.enabled disabled if you do not need apply_patch.
  • Keep tools.exec.applyPatch.workspaceOnly at its secure default of true.
  • Restrict who can trigger tool execution (and which tools are allowlisted).

Configuration Note

tools.exec.applyPatch.workspaceOnly: false intentionally opts out of workspace containment and can re-enable outside-workspace writes/deletes.

Fix

  • PR: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/16405
  • Merge commit: 5544646a09c0121fca7d7093812dc2de8437c7f1

Credits

Thanks to @p80n-sec for reporting this issue.

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: Unknown
  • Score:
  • AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.