Summary
OpenClaw Vulnerable to HTML injection via unvalidated image MIME type in data-URL interpolation
The HTML session exporter (src/auto-reply/reply/export-html/template.js) interpolates img.mimeType directly into <img src="data:..."> attributes without validation or escaping. A crafted mimeType value (e.g., x" onerror="alert(1)) can break out of the attribute context and execute arbitrary JavaScript.
Affected components
src/auto-reply/reply/export-html/template.js, line 1032 (tool result images), line 1306 (user message images)
Reproduction
- Craft a session entry with an image content block where
mimeTypeis set toimage/png" onerror="alert(document.domain) - Export the session to HTML
- Open the exported HTML, the injected
onerrorfires
Fix
Impact
An attacker who can control image entries in session data (via crafted tool results or session manipulation) can achieve XSS when the exported HTML is opened. The precondition is tighter than the main XSS finding (requires image content blocks with a malicious mimeType), but exploitation is straightforward.
Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.
CVE-2026-32040 has a CVSS score of 4.6 (Low). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (2026.2.23); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
- Added
sanitizeImageMimeType()helper that validates mimeType against a whitelist of known image MIME types - Falls back to
application/octet-streamfor unrecognized values, preventing attribute breakout
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-32040? CVE-2026-32040 is a low-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.23. It is fixed in 2026.2.23. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2026-32040? CVE-2026-32040 has a CVSS score of 4.6 (Low). 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.
- Which versions of openclaw are affected by CVE-2026-32040? openclaw (npm) versions < 2026.2.23 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32040? Yes. CVE-2026-32040 is fixed in 2026.2.23. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-32040 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32040 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-32040 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-32040? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.23 or later.