CVE-2026-32846
Published: 26 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-32846 is a high-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 26.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly requires validation of media parsing inputs to prevent path traversal bypasses in the isLikelyLocalPath() and isValidMedia() functions.
Mandates timely identification, reporting, and correction of the specific path traversal flaw fixed in commit 4797bbc.
Enforces approved authorizations for file access to block reads of arbitrary files outside the intended application sandbox.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Remote path traversal in public-facing media parser directly enables T1190 exploitation for unauthenticated arbitrary file read, which maps to T1005 for accessing local system files/credentials.
NVD Description
OpenClaw through 2026.3.23 (fixed in commit 4797bbc) contains a path traversal vulnerability in media parsing that allows attackers to read arbitrary files by bypassing path validation in the isLikelyLocalPath() and isValidMedia() functions. Attackers can exploit incomplete validation and the allowBareFilename…
more
bypass to reference files outside the intended application sandbox, resulting in disclosure of sensitive information including system files, environment files, and SSH keys.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2026-32846 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) affecting OpenClaw through version 2026.3.23, specifically in the media parsing component. The flaw arises from incomplete path validation in the isLikelyLocalPath() and isValidMedia() functions, which can be bypassed using the allowBareFilename option. This allows attackers to reference files outside the application's intended sandbox, leading to arbitrary file read access. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
Any remote attacker without privileges can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. By crafting malicious media inputs that evade the path checks, attackers can disclose sensitive information, including system files, environment variables, and SSH keys.
Mitigation is available via the fix in commit 4797bbc5b96e2cca5532e43b58915c051746fe37, as detailed in the OpenClaw GitHub security advisory GHSA-f6pf-4gjx-c94r and related pull requests #54642. Security practitioners should update to a version incorporating this commit and review media parsing inputs for similar bypasses, per advisories from VulnCheck.
Details
- CWE(s)