CVE-2017-16288
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_time, at 0x9d018f60, the value for the `dst` 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 where the 'dst' key value from PubNub 'cc' channel messages is copied via unsafe strcpy to a 32-byte stack buffer at cmd s_time (0x9d018f60). Authenticated attackers can overflow the buffer and overwrite arbitrary stack data.
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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Identify the device as an Insteon HubLocate the physical Insteon Hub device or check network inventory for an Insteon Hub device on the local networkAffected if The target device is not an Insteon Hub, this CVE does not apply
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Check the installed firmware versionAccess the Insteon Hub web interface or API and look for the firmware version number in the device settings or status pageAffected if The firmware version is not 1012, this specific CVE does not apply to that version
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Verify PubNub connectivity is enabledCheck the Insteon Hub configuration settings for PubNub service integration; look for PubNub keys or 'cc' channel configuration in the device settings or network logsAffected if PubNub connectivity is disabled and the device does not subscribe to the 'cc' channel, the vulnerable code path is not reachable
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Confirm network exposure to authenticated attackersReview network access controls, firewall rules, or VPN settings to determine if the PubNub API endpoint is accessible to untrusted users or networksAffected if The PubNub service is only accessible from trusted networks or the authenticated users have no network access to the device, exploitation is not feasible
A user is affected if they have an Insteon Hub running firmware version 1012 with PubNub connectivity enabled and network exposure to potential authenticated attackers.
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 dataVendor must release patched firmware using safe string functions (strncpy/snprintf with bounds checking). Users should update firmware when available and restrict network access to the PubNub service.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16288 — 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-2017-16288 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
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