CVE-2025-54878
📋 TL;DR
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in NASA CryptoLib versions 1.4.0 and prior allows attackers to corrupt heap memory by sending specially crafted telecommand frames. This affects spacecraft communications secured using the SDLS-EP protocol with vulnerable CryptoLib implementations. Successful exploitation could lead to denial of service or potentially more severe consequences.
💻 Affected Systems
- NASA CryptoLib
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete compromise of spacecraft communications, potential command injection, or persistent backdoor installation
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crashes, disrupting spacecraft-ground station communications
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and input validation controls in place
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to send telecommand frames to vulnerable systems
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.4.0 (patched version)
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/nasa/CryptoLib/security/advisories/GHSA-9qph-pxfm-q9g4
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download CryptoLib version 1.4.0 or later from GitHub
2. Replace vulnerable CryptoLib installation
3. Rebuild and redeploy affected cFS applications
4. Restart spacecraft communications services
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement network-level filtering to validate telecommand frame structure before processing
Memory Protection
linuxEnable ASLR and other memory protection mechanisms on host systems
sysctl -w kernel.randomize_va_space=2
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate spacecraft communications from untrusted networks
- Deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous telecommand patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check CryptoLib version in use and verify if it's 1.4.0 or earlierCheck Version:
Check build configuration or source code for CryptoLib version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify CryptoLib version is 1.4.0 (patched) or later and validate bounds checking in IV setup logic📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes in cFS/CryptoLib processes
- Memory corruption errors in system logs
- Abnormal telecommand frame processing errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusually large or malformed telecommand frames
- Multiple connection attempts with crafted payloads
SIEM Query:
source="*cfs*" OR source="*cryptolib*" AND (error OR crash OR "heap corruption" OR "buffer overflow")