OpenTelemetry Core: Unbounded memory allocation in W3C Baggage propagation

## Overview `W3CBaggagePropagator.extract()` in `@opentelemetry/core` does not enforce size limits when parsing inbound `baggage` HTTP headers. The W3C Baggage specification recommends a maximum of 8,192 bytes and 180 entries; these limits were only enforced on the outbound (`inject()`) path, not on the inbound (`extract()`) path. Parsing oversized baggage causes memory allocation proportional to the header size without any cap. ## Impact The practical availability impact for most Node.js deployments is limited. Node.js enforces a default `--max-http-header-size` of 16,384 bytes on the total combined size of all HTTP headers, constraining what an external attacker can deliver before the propagator is reached. Additionally, the header is already in memory (parsed by the HTTP layer) by the time it reaches the propagator - the additional allocation is the overhead of splitting into entry objects, not an unbounded read. The risk is higher when transport-layer limits are absent - e.g., non-HTTP transports (messaging systems, custom `TextMapGetter` implementations) or deployments that have raised `--max-http-header-size`. ## Remediation Update `@opentelemetry/core` to version 2.8.0 or later. The fix enforces limits consistent with the W3C Baggage specification at the propagator level: - Maximum total baggage size: 8,192 bytes - Maximum number of entries: 180 - Maximum per-entry size: 4,096 bytes Headers that exceed these limits are truncated at the point the limit is reached. ## Workarounds Ensure header size limits are configured at the server or gateway level. The default Node.js HTTP header limit (16 KB) mitigates external attack vectors independently of this fix. For non-HTTP transports receiving baggage from untrusted sources, validate input size before passing it to the propagator. ## References - [W3C Baggage Specification - Limits](https://www.w3.org/TR/baggage/#limits) - opentelemetry-java: [GHSA-rcgg-9c38-7xpx](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/security/advisories/GHSA-rcgg-9c38-7xpx) - opentelemetry-go: [GHSA-mh2q-q3fh-2475](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-go/security/advisories/GHSA-mh2q-q3fh-2475) ## Credit Reported by tonghuaroot.

Source published

15 Jun 2026 20:38:30 UTC

Source modified

10 Sep 2026 03:50:48 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

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GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

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CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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