CVE-2017-16278
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 · uneditedMultiple exploitable buffer overflow vulnerabilities exist in the PubNub message handler for the "cc" channel of Insteon Hub running firmware version 1012. Specially crafted commands sent through the PubNub service can cause a stack-based buffer overflow overwriting arbitrary data. An attacker should send an authenticated HTTP request to trigger this vulnerability. In cmd s_net, at 0x9d01815c, the value for the `ip` key is copied using `strcpy` to the buffer at `$sp+0x2d0`.This buffer is 100 bytes large, sending anything longer will cause a buffer overflow.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow in Insteon Hub firmware 1012's PubNub message handler for the 'cc' channel. The 'cmd s_net' function uses unsafe strcpy to copy the 'ip' key value into a 100-byte stack buffer at $sp+0x2d0, allowing overflow with payloads exceeding 100 bytes and potentially enabling arbitrary code execution.
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= 1012CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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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Confirm Insteon Hub deviceIdentify the device model by checking device documentation, network discovery, or physical labelingAffected if The device is not an Insteon Hub
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Check firmware versionAccess the Insteon Hub admin interface or use the Insteon app to view firmware version, typically found under Settings or Device InfoAffected if Firmware version is exactly 1012
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Verify PubNub configurationCheck Insteon Hub settings for PubNub integration; look for PubNub API keys or subscription settings in the web interface or configuration backupAffected if PubNub is enabled and the hub is configured to use it for communications
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Check network exposureReview firewall rules and network access controls to determine if the PubNub API endpoints (typically pubnubapi.com) are accessible from untrusted networksAffected if The hub can reach PubNub over the network without proper authentication restrictions
The environment is affected only if the device is an Insteon Hub running firmware version 1012 with PubNub enabled and network access to the PubNub API.
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 dataUpdate to a patched firmware version if available; otherwise, implement network segmentation and restrict PubNub API access to authenticated principals only to reduce attack surface.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16278 — 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-2017-16278 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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- 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
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