# CVE-2024-9933: WatchTowerHQ <= 3.10.1 - Authentication Bypass to Administrator due to Missing Empty Value Check

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication to log in as the WatchTowerHQ administrator due to a missing empty value check.

- **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 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5vxh-frxx-px6f

## What is CVE-2024-9933?

CVE-2024-9933 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in WatchTowerHQ, published on 26 Oct 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The WatchTowerHQ plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 3.10.1. This is due to the 'watchtower_ota_token' default value is empty, and the not empty check is missing in the 'Password_Less_Access::login' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in to the WatchTowerHQ client administrator user.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-9933?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-9933?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-9933 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-9933 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-9933 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- WatchTowerHQ <= 3.10.1 - Authentication Bypass to Administrator due to Missing Empty Value Check (github_poc): https://github.com/RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2024-9933
- https://github.com/Nxploited/CVE-2024-9933 (github_poc): https://github.com/Nxploited/CVE-2024-9933

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-9933 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-9933 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in WatchTowerHQ, published on 26 Oct 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-2024-9933 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: WatchTowerHQ. 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-2024-9933/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9933/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-9933
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9933
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-9933

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9933/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.