CVE-2017-5251 in Insteon
Summary
by MITRE
In version 1012 and prior of Insteon's Insteon Hub, the radio transmissions used for communication between the hub and connected devices are not encrypted.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5251 affects Insteon's Insteon Hub firmware versions 1012 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw in home automation systems that impacts the confidentiality and integrity of device communications. This issue stems from the absence of encryption in the radio transmission protocol used by the hub to communicate with connected Insteon devices, creating a fundamental weakness in the system's security architecture. The vulnerability directly violates industry standards for secure communication in IoT environments, as outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001 security requirements for data protection.
The technical flaw manifests in the radio frequency communication layer where all data transmitted between the Insteon Hub and connected devices flows in plaintext without any form of encryption or authentication mechanisms. This unencrypted communication exposes sensitive information including device control commands, status updates, and potentially user credentials or configuration data that flows through the network. The lack of encryption means that any attacker within radio range of the hub or devices can intercept and potentially manipulate these communications, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to the home automation system. This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-312 (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-310 (CWE-310: Cryptographic Issues) categories, as it represents both cleartext transmission of sensitive data and the absence of proper cryptographic protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including unauthorized device control, system reconnaissance, and potential escalation of privileges within the home network. An attacker could potentially gain complete control over connected devices such as lights, thermostats, locks, and other smart home appliances by intercepting and replaying commands, or by injecting malicious commands into the communication stream. This represents a serious threat to home security and privacy, as the compromised system could be used to facilitate unauthorized access to the physical premises. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) when attackers attempt to map the network topology and identify vulnerable devices, and T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) when executing malicious commands against compromised devices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate firmware updates from Insteon to address the encryption deficiency, along with network segmentation to limit the exposure of the Insteon hub within the broader home network. Network administrators should implement additional security controls including firewall rules to restrict access to the hub's communication ports, and consider deploying network monitoring tools to detect anomalous communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing end-to-end encryption in all IoT communications as recommended by the OWASP Internet of Things Project, and underscores the need for manufacturers to follow security-by-design principles in their development processes. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically designed for IoT environments to monitor for unauthorized access attempts and maintain detailed audit logs of all device communications to facilitate incident response activities.