CVE-2026-91160
OpenWA: A read-only API key can receive a session pairing QR over the WebSocket event stream
Description
OpenWA is a free, open source, self-hosted WhatsApp API gateway. Prior to 0.23.5, the /events WebSocket gateway delivers the session.qr event to a VIEWER API key that subscribes by event name or through either wildcard subscription form, even though GET /api/sessions/{sessionId}/qr requires the OPERATOR role. When an allowed session is waiting to be paired, the exposed QR lets the key holder link an external device to the WhatsApp account and then read and send messages outside OpenWA and its audit trail. Keys restricted through allowedSessions remain limited to those sessions, and deployments that issue only OPERATOR or ADMIN keys are not affected. This issue is fixed in version 0.23.5.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 24, 2026, 5:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 24, 2026, 5:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-91160
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Upgrade OpenWA to version 0.23.5 or later.
- Restrict API key access to authorized sessions only.
- Ensure only OPERATOR or ADMIN keys are issued.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-91160.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-91160 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-91160
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-91160 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-91160 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Sep. 24, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description OpenWA is a free, open source, self-hosted WhatsApp API gateway. Prior to 0.23.5, the /events WebSocket gateway delivers the session.qr event to a VIEWER API key that subscribes by event name or through either wildcard subscription form, even though GET /api/sessions/{sessionId}/qr requires the OPERATOR role. When an allowed session is waiting to be paired, the exposed QR lets the key holder link an external device to the WhatsApp account and then read and send messages outside OpenWA and its audit trail. Keys restricted through allowedSessions remain limited to those sessions, and deployments that issue only OPERATOR or ADMIN keys are not affected. This issue is fixed in version 0.23.5. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Added CWE CWE-862 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/91xxx/CVE-2026-91160.json">CVE-2026-91160</a> Added Reference https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/commit/acc23c3803c07f43791a92e8e48456572fd69bdc Added Reference https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/commit/b9d9ea1c57bde98b7833a5d6e482998703667ef0 Added Reference https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/pull/1602 Added Reference https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/releases/tag/v0.23.5 Added Reference https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/security/advisories/GHSA-m427-j4h4-9qwj