CVE-2026-32048 is a sandbox escape in OpenClaw, scored 7.5 by NVD. A sandboxed session could use cross-agent sessions_spawn to create a child under an agent whose sandbox mode is off. Upgrade OpenClaw to 2026.3.1 or later. Check mixed agent setups first.
What's affected
OpenClaw 2026.2.26 and earlier. The patched version is 2026.3.1.
It matters in mixed agent setups that allow cross-agent spawning, where one agent is sandboxed and another has sandbox.mode set to off.
How to check if you're exposed
OpenClaw is distributed on npm, so read the installed version.
npm ls openclaw
npm ls -g openclaw
OpenClaw release numbers are date based, so compare the version against the fixed release named above. If you run it in a container, check the image you deploy and rebuild it after updating.
What to do now
- Upgrade OpenClaw to 2026.3.1 or later.
- Until then, list your agents and find any with sandbox.mode off that a sandboxed agent could spawn.
- Turn off cross-agent spawning where you do not need it.
Why it matters
The record lists CWE-732, incorrect permission assignment for a critical resource. A child process did not inherit the confinement of its requester, so a restricted session could get a less restricted one. The advisory also lists improper privilege management and improper access control.
The fix enforces sandbox inheritance at spawn time and rejects a spawn if a sandboxed requester would get an unsandboxed child.
The record does not flag this CVE as listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and no advisory I read says it is exploited in the wild. Treat it as a patch to schedule promptly, not a fire drill, unless your own logs say otherwise.
Quick check
Do I need a mixed setup to be affected?
The advisory describes mixed agent setups that allow cross-agent spawning.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
