CVE-2026-29609

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):

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)'

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.

Availability loss via memory pressure from attacker-controlled remote media responses.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2026-29609 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-29609? CVE-2026-29609 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-29609? CVE-2026-29609 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-29609? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.14 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-29609? Yes. CVE-2026-29609 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-29609 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-29609 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-29609 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-29609? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.2.14 or later.