# CVE-2024-10542: Auth bypass in Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authorization via reverse DNS spoofing to install arbitrary plugins, potentially leading to remote code execution.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r694-88f4-27hq

## What is CVE-2024-10542?

CVE-2024-10542 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk, published on 26 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Spam protection, Anti-Spam, FireWall by CleanTalk plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized Arbitrary Plugin Installation due to an authorization bypass via reverse DNS spoofing on the checkWithoutToken function in all versions up to, and including, 6.43.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to install and activate arbitrary plugins which can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution if another vulnerable plugin is installed and activated.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-10542?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cleantalk Anti-Spam.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-10542?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-10542 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-10542 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-10542 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- WordPress Spam protection, AntiSpam, FireWall by CleanTalk Plugin <= 6.43.2 is vulnerable to Unauthenticated Arbitrary Plugin Installation (github_poc): https://github.com/ubaydev/CVE-2024-10542

## Other vulnerabilities in Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk

- [CVE-2021-24131](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24131/): Anti-Spam by CleanTalk < 5.149 - Multiple Authenticated SQL Injections (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2026-10770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-10770/): Anti-Spam by CleanTalk - Moderately critical - Cross site scripting - SA-CONTRIB-2026-042 (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2026-3213](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-3213/): Anti-Spam by CleanTalk - Moderately critical - Cross-site scripting - SA-CONTRIB-2026-014 (medium 4.7)
- [CVE-2023-51696](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-51696/): Cross-site request forgery in Spam protection, Anti-Spam, FireWall by CleanTalk (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-10542 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-10542 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk, published on 26 Nov 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-10542 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Spam protection, Honeypot, Anti-Spam by CleanTalk. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10542/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10542/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-10542
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-10542
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-10542

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10542/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.