CVE-2017-16709
Description
Crestron Airmedia AM-100/101 devices with outdated firmware allow authenticated admins to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Crestron Airmedia AM-100/101 devices with outdated firmware allow authenticated admins to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
Vulnerability
CVE-2017-16709 is a remote code execution vulnerability affecting Crestron Airmedia AM-100 devices running firmware versions prior to 1.6.0 and AM-101 devices running firmware versions prior to 2.7.0. The vulnerability allows a remote authenticated administrator to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors. The description does not detail the exact mechanism or component involved; however, subsequent research [1] has identified multiple related command injection and authentication bypass flaws in the same device family, suggesting the attack surface includes SNMP-based injection points and other management interfaces.
Exploitation
To exploit CVE-2017-16709, an attacker must have valid administrative credentials for the target device's web management interface. With those credentials, the attacker can leverage the unspecified vectors to achieve code execution. The Tenable research [1] also describes related vulnerabilities (CVE-2019-3925 through CVE-2019-3929) that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers via SNMP, implying that the attack surface is broad and that authentication alone may not fully protect the device if SNMP is exposed.
Impact
Successful exploitation allows the authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the device with elevated privileges. This can lead to full compromise of the Airmedia device, enabling exfiltration of presentation codes, modification of system configurations, and potential use of the device as a pivot point within the network. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the device and connected systems are at risk.
Mitigation
Crestron released firmware version 1.6.0 for AM-100 and version 2.7.0 for AM-101 to address CVE-2017-16709 [1]. Users should update to these versions or later. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access to trusted IP addresses, disable SNMP if not required, and ensure network segmentation limits exposure of the device. No workaround is documented for the exact vector, but implementing the mitigations for related SNMP command injection flaws [1] may reduce overall risk.
AI Insight generated on May 26, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
2- Range: < 2.7.0
- Range: < 1.6.0
Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
Root cause
"Missing bounds checking on user-supplied input passed to the replace() function allows a stack buffer overflow when input exceeds 0x100 bytes."
Attack vector
An attacker sends a crafted HTTP POST request to `file_transfer.cgi` with a `dir` parameter longer than 0x100 bytes. The oversized input overflows a stack buffer in the `replace()` function, corrupting the return address and causing a segmentation fault (SIGSEGV) at address 0x61616160 [ref_id=1]. The curl proof-of-concept demonstrates that this can be triggered by an unauthenticated, remote attacker over the network [ref_id=1].
Affected code
The vulnerability resides in CGI scripts on the device, specifically `file_transfer.cgi` (accessible without authentication) and `return.cgi` (requiring authentication). The `file_transfer.cgi` script passes user-supplied input to a function named `replace()` in `/lib/libAwCgi.so`, where input exceeding 0x100 bytes overflows a stack buffer [ref_id=1].
What the fix does
The advisory does not include a patch diff, but states that Crestron released firmware 1.6.0 for AM-100 and firmware 2.7.0 for AM-101 to address CVE-2017-16709 [ref_id=1]. The fix attempted to filter operating system commands to prevent command injection, though subsequent research (CVE-2019-3931) showed the patch was incomplete and authenticated attackers could still achieve code execution via `return.cgi` [ref_id=1].
Preconditions
- authNo authentication required; the vulnerable file_transfer.cgi endpoint is accessible without credentials
- networkAttacker must be able to send HTTP POST requests to the device over the network
- inputThe dir parameter must exceed 0x100 bytes to overflow the stack buffer
Reproduction
Send the following curl command to the target device, replacing the IP address as needed:
``` curl -v --header "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \ --request POST \ --data "file_transfer=new&dir=aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaPa_NoteaaaaaaaaaaaaaaPa_Noteaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" \ --insecure https://192.168.88.250/cgi-bin/file_transfer.cgi ```
This causes a stack buffer overflow, resulting in a segmentation fault at address 0x61616160 [ref_id=1].
Generated on May 25, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.
References
3- packetstormsecurity.com/files/154362/AwindInc-SNMP-Service-Command-Injection.htmlmitrex_refsource_MISC
- support.crestron.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/5471/~/the-latest-details-from-crestron-on-security-and-safety-on-the-internetmitrex_refsource_CONFIRM
- www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2019-20mitrex_refsource_MISC
News mentions
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