CVE-2026-29609: Openclaw Denial of Service Vulnerability

Q: What is CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw affected by denial of service via unbounded URL-backed media fetch under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.

Q: Which Openclaw versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.14 across affected packages: openclaw.

Q: What version fixes CVE-2026-29609?

Upgrading to 2026.2.14 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Q: Is openclaw affected?

Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.14. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.14 or later.

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

Q: What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).

Q: How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-29609?

Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

HIGH

Advisory Identifier: GHSA-j27p-hq53-9wgc

CVSS 7.5

CWE-400

Published 2026-02-18

Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-29609 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Openclaw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves openclaw affected by denial of service via unbounded url-backed media fetch. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2026.2.14.

CVE-2026-29609 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-29609

GHSA Identifier GHSA-j27p-hq53-9wgc

Severity HIGH

CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5

CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

Affected Product Openclaw

Package Ecosystem npm

Published Date 2026-02-18

Last Updated 2026-03-05

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)

Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)

Privileges Required None (PR:N)

User Interaction None (UI:N)

Scope Unchanged (S:U)

Confidentiality None (C:N)

Integrity None (I:N)

Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-29609

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Openclaw dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openclaw fixed: 2026.2.14

npm install openclaw@2026.2.14

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

npm ls openclaw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-29609, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls openclaw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Openclaw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2026.2.14), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls openclaw command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Openclaw, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary URL-backed media fetch handling allocated the entire response payload in memory (`arrayBuffer`) before enforcing `maxBytes`, allowing oversized responses to cause memory exhaustion. ### Affected Versions - `openclaw` (npm): < `2026.2.14` - `clawdbot` (npm): <= `2026.1.24-3` ### Patched Versions - `openclaw` (npm): `2026.2.14` ### Fix Commit - `openclaw/openclaw` `main`: `00a08908892d1743d1fc52e5cbd9499dd5da2fe0` ### Details Affected component: - `src/media/input-files.ts` (`fetchWithGuard`) When `content-length` is missing or incorrect, reading the body via `response.arrayBuffer()` buffers the full payload before a size check can run. ### Proof of Concept 1. Configure URL-based media input. 2. Serve a response larger than `maxBytes` (chunked transfer / no `content-length`). 3. Trigger the `fetchWithGuard` URL fetch path. Example local server (large response): ```bash node -e 'require("http").createServer((_,res)=>{res.writeHead(200,{"content-type":"application/octet-stream"});for(let i=0;i<1024;i++)res.write(Buffer.alloc(1024*64));res.end();}).listen(18888)' ``` ### Impact Availability loss via memory pressure from attacker-controlled remote media responses. ### Mitigation Until a patched release is available, disable URL-backed media inputs (or restrict to a tight hostname allowlist) and use conservative `maxBytes` limits. ### Credits Reported by @vincentkoc.

CVE-2026-29609 Affected Openclaw Versions

1 component(s)

Fixed Versions:

2026.2.14

Product / Package	Ecosystem	Affected Versions	Fixed Version
openclaw npm/openclaw	npm	< 2026.2.14	2026.2.14

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-j27p-hq53-9wgc

Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/00a08908892d1743d1fc52e5cbd9499dd5da2fe0

Openclaw Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 is a security vulnerability in Openclaw involving OpenClaw affected by denial of service via unbounded URL-backed media fetch under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.

Which Openclaw versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 2026.2.14 across affected packages: openclaw.

What version fixes CVE-2026-29609?

Upgrading to 2026.2.14 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Is openclaw affected?

Yes, openclaw is affected in releases prior to 2026.2.14. Upgrade your dependency to 2026.2.14 or later.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-29609?

CVE-2026-29609 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).

How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-29609?

Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls openclaw'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema

Normalized schema output

View Raw JSON

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-j27p-hq53-9wgc",
  "modified" : "2026-03-05T21:59:50Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-18T00:51:37Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-29609" ],
  "summary" : "OpenClaw affected by denial of service via unbounded URL-backed media fetch",
  "details" : "### Summary\nURL-backed media fetch handling allocated the entire response payload in memory (`arrayBuffer`) before enforcing `maxBytes`, allowing oversized responses to cause memory exhaustion.\n\n### Affected Versions\n- `openclaw` (npm): < `2026.2.14`\n- `clawdbot` (npm): <= `2026.1.24-3`\n\n### Patched Versions\n- `openclaw` (npm): `2026.2.14`\n\n### Fix Commit\n- `openclaw/openclaw` `main`: `00a08908892d1743d1fc52e5cbd9499dd5da2fe0`\n\n### Details\nAffected component:\n- `src/media/input-files.ts` (`fetchWithGuard`)\n\nWhen `content-length` is missing or incorrect, reading the body via `response.arrayBuffer()` buffers the full payload before a size check can run.\n\n### Proof of Concept\n1. Configure URL-based media input.\n2. Serve a response larger than `maxBytes` (chunked transfer / no `content-length`).\n3. Trigger the `fetchWithGuard` URL fetch path.\n\nExample local server (large response):\n```bash\nnode -e 'require(\"http\").createServer((_,res)=>{res.writeHead(200,{\"content-type\":\"application/octet-stream\"});for(let i=0;i<1024;i++)res.write(Buffer.alloc(1024*64));res.end();}).listen(18888)'\n```\n\n### Impact\nAvailability loss via memory pressure from attacker-controlled remote media responses.\n\n### Mitigation\nUntil a patched release is available, disable URL-backed media inputs (or restrict to a tight hostname allowlist) and use conservative `maxBytes` limits.\n\n### Credits\nReported by @vincentkoc.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "openclaw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2026.2.14"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories/GHSA-j27p-hq53-9wgc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/commit/00a08908892d1743d1fc52e5cbd9499dd5da2fe0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-18T00:51:37Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}

CVSS V3

7.5 HIGH