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Cryptolib CVE-2026-22697

HIGH
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-01-10 security-advisories@github.com
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Send crafted Base64-encoded KMC response
  2. Exploit
    Trigger heap buffer overflow in decoder
  3. Impact
    Cause denial of service crash

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 with KMC crypto service integration enabled. Attacker must be positioned to intercept or control KMC service responses in spacecraft-ground station communication channel using SDLS-EP protocol.

Impact

CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Public exploit/POC available.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker could exploit this flaw, process crash and potentially code execution under certain c.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 contain a heap buffer overflow in the KMC crypto service's Base64 decoder, where oversized input strings can write beyond allocated buffer boundaries when processing KMC JSON responses. An attacker with network access to the KMC service can trigger this vulnerability to crash the spacecraft-ground station communication process or potentially execute arbitrary code. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, and no patch is currently available.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 21:54 CVSS 7.5

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. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

RemediationAI

Fixed in version 1.4.3.. Enable ASLR, DEP/NX, and stack canaries where possible. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow). Affects Cryptolib. 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, CryptoLib’s KMC crypto service integration is vulnerable to a heap buffer overflow when decoding Base64-encoded ciphertext/cleartext fields returned by the KMC service. The decode destination buffer is sized using an expected output length (len_

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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
PoC Detected
Jan 16, 2026 - 16:42 vuln.today
Public exploit code
CVE Published
Jan 10, 2026 - 01:16 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

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, CryptoLib’s KMC crypto service integration is vulnerable to a heap buffer overflow when decoding Base64-encoded ciphertext/cleartext fields returned by the KMC service. The decode destination buffer is sized using an expected output length (len_data_out), but the Base64 decoder writes output based on the actual Base64 input length and does not enforce any destination size limit. An oversized Base64 string in the KMC JSON response can cause out-of-bounds writes on the heap, resulting in process crash and potentially code execution under certain conditions. This issue has been patched in version 1.4.3.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-22697 presents notable security risk, a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Exploitation could allow attackers to corrupt memory, crash the application, or potentially execute arbitrary code. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and consider compensating controls in the interim.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Enable ASLR and DEP where available; (2) Implement network segmentation; (3) Monitor for exploitation indicators.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 66% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

58
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:nasa:cryptolib:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
CVE-2025-30216 CRITICAL POC
9.4 Mar 25

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2025-30356 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Apr 01

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2025-29909 HIGH POC
8.9 Mar 17

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2025-29912 HIGH POC
8.9 Mar 17

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2025-29911 HIGH POC
8.9 Mar 17

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2025-29913 HIGH POC
8.9 Mar 17

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDL

CVE-2026-21898 HIGH POC
8.2 Jan 10

CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity function

CVE-2025-59534 HIGH POC
7.8 Sep 23

Command injection in NASA CryptoLib before 1.4.2 lets an attacker who controls the CAM 'username' or 'keytab_file_path'

CVE-2026-22026 HIGH POC
7.5 Jan 10

CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 are vulnerable to denial of service through unbounded memory allocation in the KMC cry

CVE-2026-22023 HIGH POC
7.5 Jan 10

CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an out-of-bounds heap read in the cryptography_aead_encrypt() function, affect

CVE-2024-44910 HIGH POC
7.5 Sep 27

NASA CryptoLib v1.3.0 was discovered to contain an Out-of-Bounds read via the AOS subsystem (crypto_aos.c). Rated high s

CVE-2026-22027 MEDIUM POC
6.0 Jan 10

Heap buffer overflow in CryptoLib versions prior to 1.4.3 allows a high-privileged local attacker to corrupt adjacent me

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