LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2018-3833: An exploitable firmware downgrade vulnerability exists in Insteon Hub running firmware version 1013.

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.

HighCVSS 8.6Not KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This CVE affects Insteon Hub 2245-222 on firmware 1013. Its update process can install an older signed firmware image because it does not enforce version checks and retrieves firmware over plain HTTP. That can let an attacker force a downgrade, weakening device integrity and potentially reintroducing older vulnerabilities.

Executive priority

Prioritize if Insteon hubs are used in business, facility, or security-adjacent environments. The issue threatens device integrity rather than direct data theft, but downgrade paths can undermine trust in connected building systems.

Technical view

The source describes a firmware downgrade issue in Insteon Hub firmware 1013. Firmware updates are triggered via PubNub and retrieve signed binaries over HTTP. The hub validates signing but not firmware version, so a party impersonating cache.insteon.com could serve an older signed image for installation.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Insteon Hub 2245-222 devices running firmware 1013. The provided sources do not identify other Insteon products or firmware versions as affected.

Exploitation context

The CVE is not listed as KEV, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation. Exploitation requires the attacker to impersonate the remote firmware server path and provide a signed older firmware image.

Researcher notes

The key weakness is missing anti-rollback enforcement combined with HTTP firmware retrieval. The sources establish affected firmware 1013 and the need to impersonate cache.insteon.com, but do not provide a vendor patch, broad product impact, or exploitation-in-the-wild evidence.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory Insteon Hub 2245-222 devices and confirm firmware version 1013 exposure.
  • Check Insteon or Talos guidance before making firmware changes; no patch is named in the sources.
  • Restrict hub network exposure to trusted networks only.
  • Monitor DNS and HTTP traffic involving cache.insteon.com for anomalies.
  • Treat downgrade-capable hubs as integrity risks until vendor remediation is confirmed.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm affected model and firmware from device records or administrative interfaces.
  • Review network logs for unexpected cache.insteon.com resolution or firmware retrievals.
  • Verify whether deployed hubs can reach firmware services through monitored paths.
  • Check vulnerability management records for Insteon Hub 2245-222 firmware 1013.
  • Document compensating controls around DNS, egress filtering, and device network segmentation.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
3

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2018-3833 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
8.6 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
2Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
8.6CVSS 3.0HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N3.94Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

8.6High
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2018-3833Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
InsteonInsteonInsteon Hub 2245-222 - Firmware version 1013Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.