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GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4

GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4: OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive

Vulnerability

Path traversal in config $include resolution allowed arbitrary local file reads outside the config directory boundary (CWE-22).

Attack Vectors

If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can set $include to absolute paths (for example /etc/passwd) and read files accessible to the OpenClaw process.
If an attacker can modify OpenClaw config, they can use traversal paths (for example ../../...) to escape the config directory.
If an attacker can create symlinks inside the config directory, they can point includes to external files unless real-path checks are enforced.
Impact scope is bounded by the file permissions of the OpenClaw runtime user; this is not an unauthenticated remote-only vector by itself.

Impact

A successful exploit can expose local secrets and credentials readable by the OpenClaw process user, including API keys and private config material.

Affected Packages / Versions

Package: openclaw (npm)
Vulnerable versions: <=2026.2.15
Patched versions: >=2026.2.17

Fix Commit(s)

d1c00dbb7c64a39e205464dae7f2a068420e91c1

Release Process Note

Patched version is pre-set to 2026.2.17. Once npm release 2026.2.17 is available, this advisory is ready to publish.

OpenClaw thanks @aether-ai-agent for reporting.

(GitHub Advisory)

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GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4

GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4:

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Technical Details

Package Name	Ecosystem	Vulnerable Versions	First Patched Version
openclaw	npm	< 2026.2.17	2026.2.17

Technical Details

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Root Cause Analysis

The vulnerability is a path traversal issue (CWE-22) in the openclaw npm package, allowing an attacker with permissions to modify the configuration file to read arbitrary files on the local filesystem. The root cause lies in the insecure handling of the $include directive within the configuration file parser.

The core of the vulnerability is in the IncludeProcessor.processIncludes method in src/config/includes.ts. The original code used a simple startsWith string comparison to validate that the path provided in the $include directive was within the bounds of the configuration directory. This check was insufficient and could be bypassed using relative path traversal sequences (../) or by providing an absolute path to a file outside the intended directory.

The patch rectifies this by implementing a more robust validation mechanism. It introduces the concept of a rootDir (the top-level configuration directory) and uses a new isPathInside helper function to strictly enforce that all resolved include paths are contained within this directory. Furthermore, the patch adds fs.realpathSync to resolve any symbolic links before validation, preventing bypasses that use symlinks to point to files outside the configuration directory.

The primary vulnerable function is IncludeProcessor.processIncludes, as it contains the flawed validation logic. However, IncludeProcessor.process and the exported resolveConfigIncludes function are also identified as key components of the vulnerable execution path, as they are responsible for initiating and managing the configuration parsing process that triggers the vulnerability. A runtime profiler would likely show these functions in the call stack during an exploit.

Vulnerable functions

IncludeProcessor.processIncludes

src/config/includes.ts

This private method is responsible for resolving and reading the files specified in the `$include` directive. The original implementation used a weak `startsWith` check to confine file access to the configuration directory. This check was insufficient and could be bypassed using path traversal techniques (e.g., `../`) or absolute paths, allowing an attacker to read arbitrary files from the filesystem.

IncludeProcessor.process

src/config/includes.ts

This method orchestrates the processing of the configuration object. It identifies the `$include` key and calls the vulnerable `processIncludes` method to handle it. As a result, this function is a critical part of the execution flow that leads to the vulnerability.

resolveConfigIncludes

src/config/includes.ts

This is the main public API function that initiates the processing of configuration files with includes. It creates an instance of `IncludeProcessor` and starts the processing by calling the `process` method, which in turn leads to the vulnerable file inclusion logic.

loadAndMaybeMigrateDoctorConfig

src/commands/doctor-config-flow.ts

This function is part of the `doctor` command and is responsible for loading the configuration. The patch adds a call to `noteIncludeConfinementWarning` to warn users about invalid include paths that escape the configuration directory. While this function itself is not the source of the vulnerability, it is involved in processing the configuration and is modified as part of the fix to provide better security feedback.

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WAF Rule

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Reasoning

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GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4: OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive

Vulnerability

Attack Vectors

Impact

Affected Packages / Versions

Fix Commit(s)

Release Process Note

GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4:

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Vulnerable functions

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Root Cause Analysis

Vulnerable functions

Technical Details

GHSA-56pc-6hvp-4gv4: OpenClaw vulnerable to arbitrary file read via $include directive

Vulnerability

Attack Vectors

Impact

Affected Packages / Versions

Fix Commit(s)

Release Process Note

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Basic Information

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