# CVE-2024-6397: InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration <= 0.1.0.44 - Authentication Bypass to Admin

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication to log in as any user, including administrators, due to insufficient API key verification.

- **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:** 11 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rqgq-6m99-363c

## What is CVE-2024-6397?

CVE-2024-6397 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration, published on 11 Jul 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 0.1.0.44. This is due to insufficient verification of the API key. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator, if they have access to the username, and to perform a variety of other administrative tasks. NOTE: This vulnerability was partially fixed in 0.1.0.44, but was still exploitable via Cross-Site Request Forgery.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-288 (Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-6397?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Instawp Instawp Connect.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-6397?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-6397 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-6397 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-6397 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration

- [CVE-2024-37228](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37228/): WordPress InstaWP Connect plugin <= 0.1.0.38 - Arbitrary File Upload vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-25918](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25918/): WordPress InstaWP Connect plugin <= 0.1.0.8 - Remote Code Execution vulnerability (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-4898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4898/): Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-2667](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-2667/): InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration <= 0.1.0.22 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-3956](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3956/): Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-6397 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-6397 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration, published on 11 Jul 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-2024-6397 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration. 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-2024-6397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6397/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-6397
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-6397
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-6397

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6397/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.