CVE-2026-41397
Openclaw ≤ 2026.3.31
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2026-41397 is a high-severity Link Following (CWE-59) vulnerability in Openclaw Openclaw. Its CVSS base score is 7.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 38th 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 map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-41397 is a sandbox escape vulnerability in OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.3.31, stemming from improper link resolution (CWE-59) during file synchronization operations. The flaw enables directory traversal through symlink exploitation in mirror sync processes, allowing attackers to bypass sandbox restrictions and access files outside the intended boundaries. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.8 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N), indicating medium severity with high impacts on confidentiality and integrity.
Remote attackers with low privileges (PR:L) can exploit this vulnerability over the network (AV:N), though it requires high attack complexity (AC:H) with no user interaction needed. By crafting malicious symlinks within mirror sync operations, attackers can traverse directory boundaries, reading or modifying arbitrary files outside the sandbox, potentially leading to unauthorized data exposure or alteration.
Mitigation is addressed in OpenClaw's GitHub security advisory GHSA-cwf8-44x6-32c2 and fixing commits such as 3b9dab0ece4643a9643e6a45459f5c709d3ce320 and c02ee8a3a4cb390b23afdf21317aa8b2096854d1. Security practitioners should upgrade to OpenClaw 2026.3.31 or later, where symlink handling in file sync operations has been hardened to prevent traversal. Additional details are available in the VulnCheck advisory at vulncheck.com.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-26105
Vulnerability Data
OpenClaw before 2026.3.31 contains a sandbox escape vulnerability allowing attackers to traverse directory boundaries through symlink exploitation during file synchronization operations. Remote attackers can bypass sandbox restrictions by crafting malicious symlinks in mirror sync operations to access arbitrary files outside…
more
intended boundaries.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V15.4.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Proper enforcement of access authorizations on the resolved target resource stops a link from reaching an unintended object.
Least-privilege limits the damage an attacker can cause after following an unintended link.
Validating file-name inputs can reject or canonicalize names that resolve to links before access occurs.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require code to validate paths and avoid unsafe link following.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect link-following flaws before release.
Secure SDLC practices can mandate link-resolution checks and canonicalization before file access.
Application security requirements can explicitly require safe handling of symbolic links and path traversal.
Secure architecture principles include input validation and safe file-access design patterns.
Secure coding standards directly address canonicalization and symlink attacks during implementation.
Access-control rules can limit which files are reachable, reducing exposure to malicious links.