CVE-2026-73502: CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference in getkin kin-openapi
kin-openapi is a Go project for handling OpenAPI files. From 0.2.0 until 0.144.0, openapi3filter.ValidateRequest can encounter a NULL-pointer-dereference denial of service when an operation declares a content parameter whose application/json media type has no schema. In openapi3filter/req_resp_decoder.go, the default defaultContentParameterDecoder dereferences mt.Schema.Value without checking whether mt.Schema is nil, even though doc.Validate() accepts the document under OpenAPI 3.0.x and 3.1.x. A single unauthenticated request supplying the parameter value can panic request validation, causing an aborted request with log growth in the common synchronous net/http path or a full process crash in integrations without recovery. This issue is fixed in version 0.144.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
kin-openapi, a Go library for handling OpenAPI files, has a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability (CWE-476) in versions before 0.144.0. The openapi3filter.ValidateRequest function dereferences mt.Schema.Value without verifying if mt.Schema is nil when processing content parameters with application/json media type lacking a schema. This can cause a panic during request validation, resulting in denial of service either by aborting the request or crashing the process in environments without recovery mechanisms. The flaw is addressed in version 0.144.0.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can trigger a denial of service by sending a specially crafted request that causes the validation function to panic. This leads to aborted requests and log growth in typical net/http synchronous paths or a full process crash in integrations lacking panic recovery. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity, only availability is affected.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade kin-openapi to version 0.144.0 or later where this NULL pointer dereference issue is fixed. No other mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed beyond the fixed version, so users should verify with the vendor for current remediation guidance.
CVE-2026-73502: CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference in getkin kin-openapi
Description
kin-openapi is a Go project for handling OpenAPI files. From 0.2.0 until 0.144.0, openapi3filter.ValidateRequest can encounter a NULL-pointer-dereference denial of service when an operation declares a content parameter whose application/json media type has no schema. In openapi3filter/req_resp_decoder.go, the default defaultContentParameterDecoder dereferences mt.Schema.Value without checking whether mt.Schema is nil, even though doc.Validate() accepts the document under OpenAPI 3.0.x and 3.1.x. A single unauthenticated request supplying the parameter value can panic request validation, causing an aborted request with log growth in the common synchronous net/http path or a full process crash in integrations without recovery. This issue is fixed in version 0.144.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 5.3medium
Affected software
pkg:golang/github.com/getkin/kin-openapiRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
kin-openapi, a Go library for handling OpenAPI files, has a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability (CWE-476) in versions before 0.144.0. The openapi3filter.ValidateRequest function dereferences mt.Schema.Value without verifying if mt.Schema is nil when processing content parameters with application/json media type lacking a schema. This can cause a panic during request validation, resulting in denial of service either by aborting the request or crashing the process in environments without recovery mechanisms. The flaw is addressed in version 0.144.0.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can trigger a denial of service by sending a specially crafted request that causes the validation function to panic. This leads to aborted requests and log growth in typical net/http synchronous paths or a full process crash in integrations lacking panic recovery. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity, only availability is affected.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade kin-openapi to version 0.144.0 or later where this NULL pointer dereference issue is fixed. No other mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed beyond the fixed version, so users should verify with the vendor for current remediation guidance.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-12T19:00:33.736Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a849ec5c6e8be0332910979
Added to database: 08/18/2026, 18:04:53 UTC
Last enriched: 08/18/2026, 18:22:11 UTC
Last updated: 08/18/2026, 18:49:55 UTC
Views: 6
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