# CVE-2018-3833: Security feature bypass in Insteon

> Attackers can downgrade Insteon Hub firmware by impersonating the update server, bypassing version checks to install older, potentially vulnerable images.

- **Severity:** High 8.6 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Aug 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7hr9-pwpq-qj4c

## What is CVE-2018-3833?

CVE-2018-3833 is a high-severity vulnerability in Insteon, published on 23 Aug 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An exploitable firmware downgrade vulnerability exists in Insteon Hub running firmware version 1013. The firmware upgrade functionality, triggered via PubNub, retrieves signed firmware binaries using plain HTTP requests. The device doesn't check the firmware version that is going to be installed and thus allows for flashing older firmware images. To trigger this vulnerability, an attacker needs to impersonate the remote server 'cache.insteon.com' and serve any signed firmware image.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-3833?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Insteon Hub 2245-222 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-3833?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-3833 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-3833 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-3833 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Insteon

- [CVE-2018-3832](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3832/): File upload in Insteon (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2017-14443](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14443/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2017-14453](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14453/): Memory corruption in Insteon Hub 2245-222 (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2017-14455](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14455/): Memory corruption in Insteon Hub 2245-222 (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2017-16337](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16337/): Memory corruption in Insteon Hub 2245-222 (high 8.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-3833 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-3833 is a high-severity vulnerability in Insteon, published on 23 Aug 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-3833 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Insteon. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3833/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3833/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-3833
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3833
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-3833

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3833/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.