Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2016-10572 affects the mongodb-instance Node module before 0.0.3. During installation it downloaded MongoDB binaries over unencrypted HTTP, allowing a network-positioned attacker to replace the binary and potentially run code in the installing environment.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where CI, developer laptops, or release builds still install the vulnerable package. Business risk is mainly build-chain compromise, not direct internet-facing service exposure based on the supplied evidence.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-311: sensitive resource retrieval without encryption. Affected mongodb-instance versions before 0.0.3 fetched binary resources over HTTP, creating a man-in-the-middle substitution risk. The bundle describes possible RCE if an attacker can intercept or alter the download path.
Likely exposure
Organizations are exposed if build, development, or CI environments install mongodb-instance before 0.0.3 and allow network binary downloads during installation. Exposure is most relevant on untrusted networks or where traffic proxying could alter HTTP downloads.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV in the bundle. Exploitation requires the vulnerable package installation path plus an attacker positioned between the installer and remote server.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited: no CVSS vector, no confirmed exploit activity, and no detailed patch notes are included in the bundle. The core concern is install-time binary substitution over HTTP, not a MongoDB server vulnerability.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade mongodb-instance to version 0.0.3 or later where feasible.
- Remove the dependency if it is no longer required.
- Use trusted package mirrors or locked dependencies for builds.
- Restrict build environments from unaudited external binary downloads.
- Check vendor or package advisory guidance before accepting residual risk.
Validation and detection
- Inspect dependency manifests and lockfiles for mongodb-instance versions earlier than 0.0.3.
- Review CI and build images for cached vulnerable package versions.
- Confirm package installation no longer downloads MongoDB binaries over HTTP.
- Check software composition analysis results for CVE-2016-10572.
- Document whether the dependency is runtime, development-only, or unused.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-311: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2016-10572 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://nodesecurity.io/advisories/235CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.