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OpenClaw has Zip Slip path traversal in tar archive extraction

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Feb 16, 2026 in openclaw/openclaw

Package

npm openclaw (npm)

Affected versions

< 2026.2.14

Patched versions

2026.2.14

Description

Summary

OpenClaw versions before 2026.2.14 did not sufficiently validate TAR archive entry paths during extraction. A crafted archive could use path traversal sequences (for example ../../...) to write files outside the intended destination directory (Zip Slip).

Affected Packages / Versions

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

Details

The affected code path is extractArchive() in src/infra/archive.ts. Prior to 2026.2.14, TAR extraction used tar.x({ cwd: destDir }) without rejecting traversal and absolute entry paths.

This extraction is used by installation flows such as:

  • openclaw plugins install …
  • openclaw hooks install …

Impact

If a user installs an untrusted .tar / .tgz archive, an attacker can write files outside the extraction directory (within the permissions of the OpenClaw process). This can lead to configuration tampering and potentially code execution.

Mitigation

Upgrade to openclaw >= 2026.2.14. Avoid installing untrusted plugin/hook archives.

Fix Commit(s)

  • 3aa94afcfd12104c683c9cad81faf434d0dadf87

OpenClaw thanks @xuemian168 for reporting.

References

@steipete steipete published to openclaw/openclaw Feb 16, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 2, 2026
Reviewed Mar 2, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-p25h-9q54-ffvw

Source code

Credits

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