CVE-2026-17432
Received Received - Intake

Improper Access Control in NousResearch Hermes-Agent SimpleX Gateway

Publication date: 2026-07-26

Last updated on: 2026-07-26

Assigner: VulDB

Description
A vulnerability was detected in NousResearch hermes-agent 2026.6.5. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the file hermes-agent/plugins/platforms/simplex/adapter.py of the component SimpleX Gateway Authorization. The manipulation of the argument contactId results in improper access controls. The attack may be launched remotely. A high complexity level is associated with this attack. The exploitation appears to be difficult. The exploit is now public and may be used. The patch is identified as 490c486ff65b766d9de0fe0e6f26e1778aaa8fb3. Applying a patch is advised to resolve this issue.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-26
Last Modified
2026-07-26
Generated
2026-07-26
AI Q&A
2026-07-26
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-17432
EUVD
EUVD-2026-49046

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
nousresearch hermes-agent 2026.6.5

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-284 The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.
CWE-266 A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an authorization bypass in the Hermes Agent's SimpleX gateway. It allows attackers to impersonate allowed contacts by spoofing their display name to match an entry in the allowlist. The issue occurs because the gateway incorrectly uses mutable display names instead of stable contact identifiers for authorization checks.

Detection Guidance

Check the Hermes Agent version and configuration for SimpleX gateway settings. Inspect logs for unauthorized access attempts or mismatches between display names and contact IDs in SIMPLEX_ALLOWED_USERS. Verify if the patch 490c486ff65b766d9de0fe0e6f26e1778aaa8fb3 is applied.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain unauthorized access to the Hermes SimpleX gateway and downstream agent functionality by setting their display name to match an allowlisted user. This could allow them to interact with privileged capabilities despite sender restrictions, potentially leading to data exposure or unauthorized actions.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthorized remote access by spoofing display names, which could lead to unauthorized data exposure or modification. For GDPR, this may violate principles of data protection and user rights. For HIPAA, it risks unauthorized access to protected health information if the agent handles such data.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the patch 490c486ff65b766d9de0fe0e6f26e1778aaa8fb3 immediately. Update SIMPLEX_ALLOWED_USERS to use numeric contact IDs instead of display names. Monitor for unauthorized access and review gateway authorization logic.

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