OpenClaw < 2026.2.24 - Sandbox Bind Validation Bypass via Symlink-Parent Missing-Leaf Paths

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - macOS/Menu bar: stop reusing the injector delegate for the "Usage cost (30 days)" submenu to prevent recursive submenu injection loops when opening cost history. (#25341) Thanks @yingchunbai.
 - Control UI/Chat images: harden image-open clicks against reverse tabnabbing by using opener isolation (`noopener,noreferrer` plus `window.opener = null`). (#18685) Thanks @Mariana-Codebase.
 - CLI/Doctor: correct stale recovery hints to use valid commands (`openclaw gateway status --deep` and `openclaw configure --section model`). (#24485) Thanks @chilu18.
+- Security/Sandbox: canonicalize bind-mount source paths via existing-ancestor realpath so symlink-parent + non-existent-leaf paths cannot bypass allowed-source-roots or blocked-path checks.
 
 ## 2026.2.23
 

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { mkdtempSync, symlinkSync } from "node:fs";
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, symlinkSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
@@ -117,6 +117,44 @@ describe("validateBindMounts", () => {
     expect(run).toThrow(/blocked path/);
   });
 
+  it("blocks symlink-parent escapes with non-existent leaf outside allowed roots", () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      // Windows source paths (e.g. C:\\...) are intentionally rejected as non-POSIX.
+      return;
+    }
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "openclaw-sbx-"));
+    const workspace = join(dir, "workspace");
+    const outside = join(dir, "outside");
+    mkdirSync(workspace, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(outside, { recursive: true });
+    const link = join(workspace, "alias-out");
+    symlinkSync(outside, link);
+    const missingLeaf = join(link, "not-yet-created");
+    expect(() =>
+      validateBindMounts([`${missingLeaf}:/mnt/data:ro`], {
+        allowedSourceRoots: [workspace],
+      }),
+    ).toThrow(/outside allowed roots/);
+  });
+
+  it("blocks symlink-parent escapes into blocked paths when leaf does not exist", () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      // Windows source paths (e.g. C:\\...) are intentionally rejected as non-POSIX.
+      return;
+    }
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "openclaw-sbx-"));
+    const workspace = join(dir, "workspace");
+    mkdirSync(workspace, { recursive: true });
+    const link = join(workspace, "run-link");
+    symlinkSync("/var/run", link);
+    const missingLeaf = join(link, "openclaw-not-created");
+    expect(() =>
+      validateBindMounts([`${missingLeaf}:/mnt/run:ro`], {
+        allowedSourceRoots: [workspace],
+      }),
+    ).toThrow(/blocked path/);
+  });
+
   it("rejects non-absolute source paths (relative or named volumes)", () => {
     const cases = ["../etc/passwd:/mnt/passwd", "etc/passwd:/mnt/passwd", "myvol:/mnt"] as const;
     for (const source of cases) {

@@ -119,18 +119,38 @@ export function getBlockedReasonForSourcePath(sourceNormalized: string): Blocked
   return null;
 }
 
-function tryRealpathAbsolute(path: string): string {
-  if (!path.startsWith("/")) {
-    return path;
+function resolvePathViaExistingAncestor(sourcePath: string): string {
+  if (!sourcePath.startsWith("/")) {
+    return sourcePath;
   }
-  if (!existsSync(path)) {
-    return path;
+
+  const normalized = normalizeHostPath(sourcePath);
+  let current = normalized;
+  const missingSegments: string[] = [];
+
+  // Resolve through the deepest existing ancestor so symlink parents are honored
+  // even when the final source leaf does not exist yet.
+  while (current !== "/" && !existsSync(current)) {
+    missingSegments.unshift(posix.basename(current));
+    const parent = posix.dirname(current);
+    if (parent === current) {
+      break;
+    }
+    current = parent;
+  }
+
+  if (!existsSync(current)) {
+    return normalized;
   }
+
   try {
-    // Use native when available (keeps platform semantics); normalize for prefix checks.
-    return normalizeHostPath(realpathSync.native(path));
+    const resolvedAncestor = normalizeHostPath(realpathSync.native(current));
+    if (missingSegments.length === 0) {
+      return resolvedAncestor;
+    }
+    return normalizeHostPath(posix.join(resolvedAncestor, ...missingSegments));
   } catch {
-    return path;
+    return normalized;
   }
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +165,7 @@ function normalizeAllowedRoots(roots: string[] | undefined): string[] {
   const expanded = new Set<string>();
   for (const root of normalized) {
     expanded.add(root);
-    const real = tryRealpathAbsolute(root);
+    const real = resolvePathViaExistingAncestor(root);
     if (real !== root) {
       expanded.add(real);
     }
@@ -227,7 +247,8 @@ function formatBindBlockedError(params: { bind: string; reason: BlockedBindReaso
 
 /**
  * Validate bind mounts — throws if any source path is dangerous.
- * Includes a symlink/realpath pass when the source path exists.
+ * Includes a symlink/realpath pass via existing ancestors so non-existent leaf
+ * paths cannot bypass source-root and blocked-path checks.
  */
 export function validateBindMounts(
   binds: string[] | undefined,
@@ -268,18 +289,16 @@ export function validateBindMounts(
       }
     }
 
-    // Symlink escape hardening: resolve existing absolute paths and re-check.
-    const sourceReal = tryRealpathAbsolute(sourceNormalized);
-    if (sourceReal !== sourceNormalized) {
-      const reason = getBlockedReasonForSourcePath(sourceReal);
-      if (reason) {
-        throw formatBindBlockedError({ bind, reason });
-      }
-      if (!options?.allowSourcesOutsideAllowedRoots) {
-        const allowedReason = getOutsideAllowedRootsReason(sourceReal, allowedRoots);
-        if (allowedReason) {
-          throw formatBindBlockedError({ bind, reason: allowedReason });
-        }
+    // Symlink escape hardening: resolve through existing ancestors and re-check.
+    const sourceCanonical = resolvePathViaExistingAncestor(sourceNormalized);
+    const reason = getBlockedReasonForSourcePath(sourceCanonical);
+    if (reason) {
+      throw formatBindBlockedError({ bind, reason });
+    }
+    if (!options?.allowSourcesOutsideAllowedRoots) {
+      const allowedReason = getOutsideAllowedRootsReason(sourceCanonical, allowedRoots);
+      if (allowedReason) {
+        throw formatBindBlockedError({ bind, reason: allowedReason });
       }
     }
   }