Denial of Service Vulnerability in OpenClaw: Memory Pressure from Large Base64 Media Files

openclaw Updated 18 Feb 2026

Summary

18/02/2026

Disclosed on

MODERATE

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

Moderate

Severity

5.5

CVSS Score

GHSA-w2cg-vxx6-5xjg: Base64-backed media inputs could be decoded into Buffers before enforcing decoded-size budgets. Affects openclaw versions < 2026.2.14. Fixed in 2026.2.14. How to fix ↓

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Background

OpenClaw is an npm package designed for handling media inputs, particularly those encoded in base64 format. It allows developers to easily integrate media handling capabilities into their applications. However, due to its handling of base64 inputs, OpenClaw is susceptible to vulnerabilities that can lead to denial of service (DoS) attacks, particularly when large payloads are processed without proper size checks.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability arises from the way OpenClaw decodes base64-encoded media inputs into Buffers before enforcing size limits. An attacker can exploit this by supplying oversized base64 payloads, which can lead to excessive memory allocation, causing memory pressure and potentially crashing the application. This vulnerability is particularly concerning if the gateway is exposed to untrusted networks, as it can be exploited remotely, increasing the severity of the risk.

How To Fix

Latest published version: 2026.10.6 as of 22 Oct 2026

npm install openclaw@2026.10.6

Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.

If you need the minimum change

2026.2.14

This is the first release that contains the fix.

npm install openclaw@2026.2.14

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Workaround

As a temporary workaround, consider binding the gateway to loopback and enforcing authentication for HTTP endpoints to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and potential DoS attacks.

Conclusion

The OpenClaw package has a vulnerability that allows for denial of service through large base64 media files. It is crucial to update to the patched version to mitigate this risk. Additionally, implementing workarounds can help protect your application until an update can be applied.

See every vulnerability recorded for openclaw →