dbcve.org
Hub FirmwareOperating system · Insteon

CVE-2017-16286

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Multiple 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_time, at 0x9d018ea0, the value for the `dststart` key is copied using `strcpy` to the buffer at `$sp+0x280`.This buffer is 16 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 confidence

Stack-based buffer overflow in Insteon Hub firmware (v1012) PubNub message handler. The 'dststart' key value from commands on the 'cc' channel is copied using unsafe strcpy into a 16-byte stack buffer at $sp+0x280, allowing overflow and potential arbitrary code execution by authenticated attackers.

MitigationUpdate Insteon Hub to patched firmware if available; otherwise network-segment the device and disable PubNub integration if not required. The vulnerable code at 0x9d018ea0 must be patched to use bounds-checked string functions.

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
Hub FirmwareOperating system
Affected:= 1012

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm device is an Insteon Hub
    Identify the device model by checking the device label, management interface, or network discovery output for 'Insteon Hub' or model numbers such as 2245-222
    Affected if Device is an Insteon Hub
  2. Check firmware version
    Access the Insteon Hub web interface or API and locate the firmware version information, typically found under Settings > Hardware or similar
    Affected if Firmware version equals 1012 exactly
  3. Verify PubNub integration is enabled
    Check the Insteon Hub configuration for active PubNub settings, typically under Hub > Settings > PubNub or API settings
    Affected if PubNub integration is configured and enabled
  4. Confirm the cc channel is active
    Inspect PubNub channel configuration to determine if the 'cc' channel is subscribed or published to
    Affected if The 'cc' PubNub channel is active and receiving commands

You are affected if you have an Insteon Hub running firmware version 1012 with PubNub integration and the cc channel enabled, since the vulnerability requires the PubNub message handler to be active to process the malicious dststart key value.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Insteon Hub to patched firmware if available; otherwise network-segment the device and disable PubNub integration if not required. The vulnerable code at 0x9d018ea0 must be patched to use bounds-checked string functions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Insteon Hub firmware version newer than 1012 (check Insteon support for exact patched release)

  1. 1. Identify the current Insteon Hub firmware version through the mobile app or web interface
  2. 2. Check Insteon support resources or the Talos Intelligence advisory for the patched firmware version
  3. 3. Upgrade the Insteon Hub firmware to a version newer than 1012 that contains the security patch
  4. 4. After upgrade, verify the new firmware version is applied successfully
  5. 5. Confirm the PubNub integration continues to function normally after the update
Caveat Firmware upgrades on IoT devices may occasionally introduce compatibility changes with connected devices or integrations; test essential automation routines after applying the update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Hub Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-16286 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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