CVE-2024-10781 – The CleanTalk WordPress plugin has a vulnerabil... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-10781?

CVE-2024-10781 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (HIGH). The CleanTalk WordPress plugin has a vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to install and activate arbitrary plugins. This can lead to remote code execution if another vulnerable plugin is installed. All WordPress sites using CleanTalk Anti-Spam plugin versions up to 6.44 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

The CleanTalk WordPress plugin has a vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to install and activate arbitrary plugins. This can lead to remote code execution if another vulnerable plugin is installed. All WordPress sites using CleanTalk Anti-Spam plugin versions up to 6.44 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Spam protection, Anti-Spam, FireWall by CleanTalk WordPress plugin

Versions: All versions up to and including 6.44

Operating Systems: Any OS running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires WordPress installation with the CleanTalk plugin active. No special configuration needed.

📦 What is this software?

Spam Protection\, Antispam\, Firewall by Cleantalk

View all CVEs affecting Spam Protection\, Antispam\, Firewall →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete site compromise through remote code execution leading to data theft, malware deployment, or site defacement.

🟠

Likely Case

Attackers install malicious plugins to gain persistent access, create backdoors, or deploy cryptocurrency miners.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper network segmentation and least privilege principles are implemented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - WordPress sites are typically internet-facing and the exploit requires no authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - This primarily affects internet-facing WordPress installations.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

The vulnerability is straightforward to exploit as it requires no authentication and has simple HTTP request structure.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 6.45

Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3188546/cleantalk-spam-protect

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Spam protection, Anti-Spam, FireWall by CleanTalk'. 4. Click 'Update Now' or manually update to version 6.45+. 5. Verify the plugin is active and functioning.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable CleanTalk Plugin

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.

wp plugin deactivate cleantalk-spam-protect

Restrict Remote Calls

linux

Block access to the vulnerable endpoint via web server configuration.

# Apache: Add to .htaccess
<Files "RemoteCalls.php">
    Require all denied
</Files>
# Nginx: Add to server block
location ~* RemoteCalls\.php$ {
    deny all;
}

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Remove the CleanTalk plugin completely and use alternative spam protection solutions.
Implement web application firewall rules to block requests to the vulnerable RemoteCalls.php endpoint.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → Installed Plugins for CleanTalk version. If version is 6.44 or lower, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin list --name=cleantalk-spam-protect --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

After updating, verify the CleanTalk plugin shows version 6.45 or higher in WordPress admin.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual POST requests to /wp-content/plugins/cleantalk-spam-protect/lib/Cleantalk/ApbctWP/RemoteCalls.php
Sudden installation of unknown plugins
Multiple failed plugin installation attempts

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests to RemoteCalls.php with api_key parameter manipulation
Unusual outbound connections after plugin installation

SIEM Query:

source="web_server" AND (uri="*RemoteCalls.php*" OR message="*plugin installed*")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-10781

CVSS v3 Score: 8.1 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-703

Published: November 26, 2024

Last Updated: July 12, 2025

🔗 References

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