CVE-2026-21898
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
Memory Bounds Check Vulnerability in CryptoLib AOS Frame Parsing

Publication date: 2026-01-10

Last updated on: 2026-01-10

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDLS-EP) to secure communications between a spacecraft running the core Flight System (cFS) and a ground station. Prior to version 1.4.3, the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function reads memory without valid bounds checking when parsing AOS frame hashes. This issue has been patched in version 1.4.3.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-01-10
Last Modified
2026-01-10
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2026-01-10
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
nasa cryptolib to 1.4.3 (exc)
nasa cryptolib 1.4.3
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-125 The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read in the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function of the CryptoLib package. The function reads memory beyond the allocated buffer when parsing AOS frame hashes, specifically reading bytes past the end of a 6-byte buffer, which can cause a heap-buffer-overflow. This occurs because the function attempts to access the 7th and 8th bytes when only 6 bytes are allocated, leading to invalid memory access. [2]


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without any privileges or user interaction, potentially causing a denial of service by crashing the process due to heap-buffer-overflow. It has a high impact on availability, meaning it can disrupt the service. The confidentiality impact is low, and there is no impact on integrity. [2]


How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring for heap-buffer-overflow errors related to the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function, especially when processing AOS frame hashes with minimum frame lengths (6 bytes). Using AddressSanitizer (ASAN) or similar memory error detection tools during testing can reveal out-of-bounds reads. Specifically, running tests that allocate 6-byte buffers and observing if reads occur beyond the buffer (indices 6 and 7) can confirm the issue. There are no specific network commands provided, but enabling memory error detection tools during runtime or testing is recommended. [2]


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to upgrade CryptoLib to version 1.4.3 or later, where the out-of-bounds read issue in the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function has been fixed. Applying this patch will prevent the memory read beyond valid bounds and eliminate the associated heap-buffer-overflow risk. [1, 2]


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