CVE-2026-42420
Memory Exhaustion via Improper Base64 Validation in OpenClaw
Publication date: 2026-04-28
Last updated on: 2026-04-30
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| openclaw | openclaw | to 2026.4.8 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-770 | The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, you should upgrade OpenClaw to version 2026.4.8 or later, where the issue has been fixed.
The fix addresses improper input validation in the base64 decoding paths by enforcing decoded-size limits before memory allocation, preventing memory exhaustion or denial of service.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The vulnerability can impact you by allowing attackers to cause memory exhaustion or denial of service in the OpenClaw application.
This means that an attacker could submit crafted Base64-encoded input that forces the application to allocate excessive memory, potentially crashing the application or making it unavailable.
Such denial of service could disrupt normal operations and affect the availability of the service relying on OpenClaw.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-42420 is a vulnerability in OpenClaw versions before 2026.4.8 that involves improper input validation during Base64 decoding. The software allocates memory based on Base64-encoded input before checking if the decoded size is within acceptable limits.
This flaw allows attackers to exploit multiple code paths by submitting specially crafted Base64-encoded data, which can cause the program to allocate excessive memory.
As a result, this can lead to memory exhaustion or denial of service (DoS) conditions.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The provided information does not specify any direct impact of CVE-2026-42420 on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.