CVE-2026-32980

openclaw versions <= 2026.3.12 read and buffered Telegram webhook request bodies before validating x-telegram-bot-api-secret-token. This let unauthenticated callers force up to the configured webhook body limit of pre-auth body I/O and JSON parse work per request.

Affected Packages / Versions

• Package: openclaw (npm)
• Affected versions: <= 2026.3.12
• Fixed version: 2026.3.13

Details

The vulnerable path was the standalone Telegram webhook listener in src/telegram/webhook.ts. In affected releases, the request handler accepted POST requests, called readJsonBodyWithLimit(...), and only then checked the Telegram secret header. Because the secret validation happened after body reading, an unauthenticated caller could make the server spend memory, socket time, and JSON parse work on requests that should have been rejected before any body processing.

This issue is in scope under OpenClaw's trust model because the Telegram webhook endpoint accepts untrusted network traffic and the secret header is the authentication boundary for that ingress path.

Fix Commit(s)

• 7e49e98f79073b11134beac27fdff547ba5a4a02

Thanks @space08 for reporting.

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

CVE-2026-32980 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 (2026.3.13); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

[email protected] validates the Telegram webhook secret before any body I/O. Current code reads the header, rejects invalid requests immediately with 401, and only calls readJsonBodyWithLimit(...) after hasValidTelegramWebhookSecret(...) succeeds.

Regression coverage exists in src/telegram/webhook.test.ts (rejects unauthenticated requests before reading the request body).

1. What is CVE-2026-32980? CVE-2026-32980 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions <= 2026.3.12. It is fixed in 2026.3.13. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-32980? CVE-2026-32980 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-2026-32980? openclaw (npm) versions <= 2026.3.12 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32980? Yes. CVE-2026-32980 is fixed in 2026.3.13. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-32980 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-32980 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-2026-32980 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-2026-32980? Upgrade openclaw to 2026.3.13 or later.