OpenClaw's unsanitized session ID enables path traversal in transcript file operations
## Description OpenClaw versions **<= 2026.2.9** construct transcript file paths using an unsanitized `sessionId` and also accept `sessionFile` paths without enforcing that they stay within the agent sessions directory. A crafted `sessionId` and/or `sessionFile` (example: `../../etc/passwd`) can cause path traversal when the gateway performs transcript file read/write operations. **Preconditions:** an attacker must be able to authenticate to the gateway (gateway token/password). By default the gateway binds to `loopback` (local-only); configurations that expose the gateway widen the attack surface. ## Affected Packages / Versions - Package: `openclaw` (npm) - Affected: `<= 2026.2.9` - Fixed: `>= 2026.2.12` ## Fix Fixed by validating session IDs (rejecting path separators / traversal sequences) and enforcing sessions-directory containment for session transcript file operations. ### Fix Commit(s) - `4199f9889f0c307b77096a229b9e085b8d856c26` ### Additional Hardening - `cab0abf52ac91e12ea7a0cf04fff315cf0c94d64` ## Mitigation Upgrade to `openclaw >= 2026.2.12`. Thanks @akhmittra for reporting.
describes (1)
Related CVEs.
| ID | severity | exploitable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-28482US | — | — | ||
OpenClaw versions prior to 2026.2.12 construct transcript file paths using unsanitized sessionId parameters and sessionFile paths without enforcing directory containment. Authentic… | ||||
references
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclawPACKAGE
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/4199f9889f0c307b77096a229b9e085b8d856c26WEB
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/cab0abf52ac91e12ea7a0cf04fff315cf0c94d64WEB
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.2.12WEB
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-5xfq-5mr7-426qWEB
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28482ADVISORY
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/openclaw-path-traversal-via-unsanitized-sessionid-and-sessionfile-parametersWEB
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