CVE-2017-3209
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 · uneditedThe DBPOWER U818A WIFI quadcopter drone provides FTP access over its own local access point, and allows full file permissions to the anonymous user. The DBPower U818A WIFI quadcopter drone runs an FTP server that by default allows anonymous access without a password, and provides full filesystem read/write permissions to the anonymous user. A remote user within range of the open access point on the drone may utilize the anonymous user of the FTP server to read arbitrary files, such as images and video recorded by the device, or to replace system files such as /etc/shadow to gain further access to the device. Furthermore, the DBPOWER U818A WIFI quadcopter drone uses BusyBox 1.20.2, which was released in 2012, and may be vulnerable to other known BusyBox vulnerabilities.
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 DBPOWER U818A WIFI quadcopter drone runs an FTP server on its local access point that allows anonymous access without a password, granting full filesystem read/write permissions. A remote attacker within WiFi range can read arbitrary files including recorded media, or replace system files like /etc/shadow to gain elevated access. The device also runs outdated BusyBox 1.20.2.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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 drone modelVerify you are operating a DBPOWER U818A WIFI quadcopter drone. Check the device label, packaging, or product documentation for the exact model number.Affected if The device is a DBPOWER U818A WIFI model.
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Locate the drone's WiFi access pointPower on the drone and scan for WiFi networks. The drone creates a local access point (typically with SSID containing 'U818A' or similar). Note the SSID and connect to it.Affected if You can see and connect to the drone's WiFi network.
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Check if FTP port is accessibleWith your device connected to the drone's WiFi, use a network scanner or port scanner (such as 'nmap -p 21 <drone_ip>' or a mobile app like 'Fing') to check if TCP port 21 (FTP) is open on the drone's IP address.Affected if Port 21 is open and responding on the drone's IP.
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Test anonymous FTP loginUse an FTP client (command-line 'ftp <drone_ip>' or file explorer) to attempt connecting to the drone with username 'anonymous' and any password (or blank). Observe if access is granted without authentication.Affected if Anonymous login succeeds without providing a valid password, granting filesystem access.
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Verify BusyBox versionIf you can access the device via telnet or another shell (or if the FTP server reveals version info), check the BusyBox version. The known vulnerable version is 1.20.2.Affected if BusyBox version 1.20.2 is reported or the device runs any outdated BusyBox version.
If you own a DBPOWER U818A drone, its WiFi is accessible, and anonymous FTP login succeeds without a password, your device is affected by CVE-2017-3209.
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 dataDisable or restrict FTP access on the device; if FTP cannot be disabled, implement authentication and limit permissions. Consider network isolation by not using the drone's open WiFi in sensitive environments. Contact vendor for firmware updates addressing the outdated BusyBox and FTP vulnerabilities.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-3209 — 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-2017-3209 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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