CVE-2016-10608
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedrobot-js is a module for native system automation for node.js. robot-js downloads binary resources over HTTP, which leaves it vulnerable to MITM attacks. It may be possible to cause remote code execution (RCE) by swapping out the requested binary with an attacker controlled binary if the attacker is on the network or positioned in between the user and the remote server.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe robot-js Node.js module downloads binary resources over unencrypted HTTP, allowing an attacker positioned on the network to intercept and replace the binary with a malicious one. Since robot-js provides system automation capabilities, a successful MITM attack could result in arbitrary code execution on the affected system.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 2.0.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if robot-js is installedSearch for 'robot-js' in your project's package.json dependencies, or check if the module exists in node_modules/robot-jsAffected if robot-js is listed in dependencies or present in node_modules
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Determine installed versionRun 'npm list robot-js' or check the version field in node_modules/robot-js/package.jsonAffected if Version is 2.0.0 or lower
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Inspect module source for HTTP usageSearch the robot-js module source code (e.g., using grep for 'http://' URLs) to identify if binary downloads use unencrypted HTTPAffected if The module contains URLs starting with http:// for downloading binaries or resources
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Check for active network connectionsUse network monitoring tools (such as Wireshark, tcpdump, or strace) while the application loads robot-js to observe if any HTTP (port 80) connections are made to external hostsAffected if HTTP connections are observed being made to download binary resources
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Review npm audit outputRun 'npm audit' in the project directory to check for known vulnerabilities in dependenciesAffected if npm audit reports CVE-2016-10608 or similar security issues related to robot-js
A user is affected if robot-js version 2.0.0 or lower is installed and the module uses unencrypted HTTP to fetch binary resources during operation.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataReplace HTTP URLs with HTTPS and implement integrity verification (e.g., checksums or signed binaries) for all downloaded resources. Users should update to a patched version if available or avoid using this module until remediated.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-10608 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-10608 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data