Skip to content

OpenClaw browser navigation guard allowed non-network URL schemes, enabling authenticated browser-tool users to access file:// local files

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Feb 21, 2026 in openclaw/openclaw • Updated Mar 19, 2026

Package

npm openclaw (npm)

Affected versions

< 2026.2.21

Patched versions

2026.2.21

Description

Impact

assertBrowserNavigationAllowed() validated only http:/https: network targets but implicitly allowed other schemes. An authenticated gateway user could navigate browser sessions to file:// URLs and read local files via browser snapshot/extraction flows.

Affected Component

  • src/browser/navigation-guard.ts

Technical Reproduction

  1. Authenticate to a gateway that has browser tooling enabled.
  2. Invoke browser navigation with a file:// URL (for example file:///etc/passwd).
  3. Read page content through browser snapshot/extract actions.

Demonstrated Impact

An attacker with valid gateway credentials and browser-tool access can exfiltrate local files readable by the OpenClaw process user (for example config/secrets in that user context).

Environment

  • OpenClaw browser tool enabled
  • Attacker has authenticated access capable of invoking browser actions

Remediation Advice

Reject unsupported navigation schemes and allow only explicitly safe non-network URLs. OpenClaw now blocks non-network schemes (such as file:, data:, and javascript:) while preserving about:blank.

Affected Packages / Versions

  • Package: openclaw (npm)
  • Affected versions: <= 2026.2.19-2
  • Patched in planned next release: 2026.2.21

Fix Commit(s)

  • 220bd95eff6838234e8b4b711f86d4565e16e401

Release Process Note

patched_versions is pre-set to the planned next release (2026.2.21) so once npm 2026.2.21 is published, the advisory can be published directly.

OpenClaw thanks @q1uf3ng for reporting.

References

@steipete steipete published to openclaw/openclaw Feb 21, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 3, 2026
Reviewed Mar 3, 2026
Last updated Mar 19, 2026

Severity

Moderate

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(13th percentile)

Weaknesses

Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere

The product uses an externally controlled name or reference that resolves to a resource that is outside of the intended control sphere. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-32008

GHSA ID

GHSA-45cg-2683-gfmq

Source code

Credits

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.