A high-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenClaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to write arbitrary files to the host system.

The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied output paths within the browser control API. Specifically, unauthenticated attackers can exploit path traversal in the POST /trace/stop, POST /wait/download, and POST /download endpoints to bypass temporary directory restrictions.

This vulnerability poses a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of the host environment. By enabling unauthorized file writes, an attacker could potentially overwrite critical system configurations, upload malicious scripts, or perform remote code execution, leading to full system compromise. The CVSS score of 7.5 reflects the high potential for impact on system integrity, necessitating prompt remediation to prevent unauthorized access.

Immediate Action: Update the OpenClaw package to version 2026.2.13 or later to apply the necessary path validation fixes.

Proactive Monitoring: Review web server and application access logs for unusual POST requests targeting trace or download endpoints containing directory traversal sequences such as double dots.

Compensating Controls: Implement strict Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to inspect API requests and block payloads containing path traversal patterns (e.g., ../ or ..) directed at the identified vulnerable endpoints.

Public Exploit Available: No (exploit_available: false)

Given the ability for unauthenticated users to manipulate system file paths, this vulnerability represents a severe security risk to all exposed OpenClaw instances. Administrators should prioritize updating to version 2026.2.13 immediately. Failure to patch leaves the underlying host susceptible to arbitrary file write attacks which may result in total system takeover.