CVE-2017-16283
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_name, at 0x9d0188a8, the value for the `name` key is copied using `strcpy` to the buffer at `$sp+0x2b0`.This buffer is 32 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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in Insteon Hub firmware 1012 in the PubNub 'cc' channel message handler. The s_name command copies the name key value using strcpy into a 32-byte stack buffer without bounds checking, allowing overflow with data exceeding 32 bytes.
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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Check Insteon Hub firmware versionAccess the Insteon Hub web interface or mobile app, or query the device API to retrieve the installed firmware version. This is typically found in the device settings or status page.Affected if The firmware version is exactly 1012.
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Verify PubNub service is configuredCheck if the Insteon Hub has PubNub credentials (publish_key, subscribe_key) configured and is connected to the PubNub service. This can be done via the Hub settings or by observing network traffic to PubNub servers.Affected if PubNub is enabled and the device communicates with PubNub servers.
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Confirm 'cc' channel is activeInspect network traffic or check the PubNub channel configuration to verify the 'cc' channel is actively subscribed or published to. The vulnerability exists in the PubNub 'cc' channel message handler.Affected if The 'cc' channel is being used for PubNub communication.
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Test s_name command with oversized payloadIf you have access to the PubNub interface, send a message to the 'cc' channel with the s_name command containing a 'name' key value exceeding 32 bytes. Observe if the device crashes or exhibits unexpected behavior indicating buffer overflow.Affected if Sending a name value longer than 32 bytes triggers a crash, reboot, or abnormal behavior.
You are affected if your Insteon Hub runs firmware version 1012 AND has PubNub service with the 'cc' channel enabled, allowing potentially malicious messages to trigger the strcpy overflow in the s_name command handler.
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 unsafe strcpy with bounds-checked string functions (strncpy, strlcpy) and add input length validation; restrict PubNub service access and update firmware if available.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16283 — 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-2017-16283 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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