OpenClaw, before version 2026.3.31, has a time‑of‑check, time‑of‑use race condition in the remote filesystem bridge readFile function that lets attackers bypass sandbox restrictions. By exploiting the separate path validation and file read operations, a malicious actor can read arbitrary files, exposing confidential data and potentially enabling further privilege escalation. The weakness is classified as CWE‑367.

The vulnerability affects the OpenClaw product, specifically all releases prior to 2026.3.31. No additional sub‑version details are provided, so any deployment of OpenClaw older than 2026.3.31 is considered vulnerable.

The CVSS score of 8.8 indicates a high severity level. While no EPSS score is available and the vulnerability is not currently listed in CISA KEV, the nature of the flaw allows remote exploitation through the exposed readFile interface. Attackers can craft requests that trigger the race condition to read files outside the sandbox boundary, potentially exposing sensitive information. The primary attack vector is inferred to be remote, as the function is part of the remote filesystem bridge, but a local attacker could also target the sandbox if they control the environment.