What happened
OpenClaw is a coding agent distributed as the npm package `openclaw`. In affected versions (2026.7.1 through 2026.7.2), alternate but valid `file:` URL spellings supplied over the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) were treated as relative paths and were incorrectly classified as reads scoped to the session working directory. When an operator connected `openclaw acp client` to an untrusted or compromised ACP peer, that peer could request a read of a file outside the session working directory without the approval prompt normally required for that path, resulting in disclosure of local file contents. The demonstrated impact is limited to file confidentiality; mutating and command-capable tool classes are not affected. This issue is fixed in OpenClaw 2026.8.1.
Affected versions
OpenClaw: 2026.7.1-2 through before 2026.8.1 (semver) Fixed: See vendor advisory.
Why it matters
Review the vendor advisory and exposure of the affected product to determine operational impact.
Detection & mitigation
- Apply vendor-provided updates or mitigations.
- Review affected product exposure and access logs.
Public PoC references
No public PoC reference has passed the current publication threshold.