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.

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Fixes

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Workaround

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History

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values 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.
Title OpenWA: A read-only API key can receive a session pairing QR over the WebSocket event stream
Weaknesses CWE-862
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N'}


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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-24T16:42:02.788Z

Reserved: 2026-09-14T21:20:41.196Z

Link: CVE-2026-91160

cve-icon Vulnrichment

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cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-24T17:17:09.257

Modified: 2026-09-24T17:17:09.257

Link: CVE-2026-91160

cve-icon Redhat

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cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

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Weaknesses