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CVE-2026-91160 — OpenWA is a free, open source, self-hosted WhatsApp API gateway.

Key facts

CVE-2026-91160 is a High (8.2) vulnerability: OpenWA is a free, open source, self-hosted WhatsApp API gateway.. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.

CVE CVE-2026-91160
Severity High (8.2)
Detection / prevention —
PoC poc.py
Source 2026/CVE-2026-91160/

Details

English | 한국어

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.

Vulnerability Details

Property Value
CVE ID CVE-2026-91160
Type RCE
CVSS Score 8.2

Proof of Concept

Download

# Download PoC script
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fankh/vulnerability-poc/main/2026/CVE-2026-91160/poc.py

Usage

# Run PoC against target
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL>

# With authentication
python3 poc.py --target <TARGET_URL> --username <USER> --password <PASS>

⚠️ Warning: This PoC is for authorized security testing only. It uses detection-only techniques and does not exploit or damage target systems.

Test Lab

This repository includes a Docker-based test environment with both vulnerable and patched applications.

Quick Start

# Clone and navigate to CVE directory
cd CVE-2026-91160

# Start both applications
docker-compose up -d

# Run tests
./run-tests.sh    # Linux/Mac
./run-tests.ps1   # Windows PowerShell

Application Endpoints

Application URL Status
Vulnerable App http://localhost:8080 Shows vulnerability
Patched App http://localhost:8081 Demonstrates fix

Directory Structure

├── README.md           # English documentation
├── README_KO.md        # Korean documentation
├── poc.py              # PoC detection script
├── docker-compose.yml  # Container orchestration
├── run-tests.sh        # Linux/Mac test runner
├── run-tests.ps1       # Windows test runner
├── vulnerable-app/     # Vulnerable version
│   ├── app.py
│   ├── Dockerfile
│   └── requirements.txt
└── patched-app/        # Fixed version
    ├── app.py
    ├── Dockerfile
    └── requirements.txt

References

  • https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/commit/acc23c3803c07f43791a92e8e48456572fd69bdc
  • https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/commit/b9d9ea1c57bde98b7833a5d6e482998703667ef0
  • https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/pull/1602
  • https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/releases/tag/v0.23.5
  • https://github.com/rmyndharis/OpenWA/security/advisories/GHSA-m427-j4h4-9qwj

Generated by PoC Generator on 2026-09-27T12:25:12.845058665

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-91160?

CVE-2026-91160 is a High (8.2) vulnerability: OpenWA is a free, open source, self-hosted WhatsApp API gateway.. This entry ships a detection-only PoC and a Docker test lab.

How do I detect CVE-2026-91160?

Run the detection-only PoC included with this entry against your Docker test lab to confirm whether a target is affected; pair it with your own IDS logging.

How do I block or mitigate CVE-2026-91160?

Upgrade to a fixed version per the vendor advisory; the NVD record lists the affected versions. Use the included PoC to verify your remediation.


For authorized security testing and research only. See the full source and NVD record.