CVE-2026-21899VulnerabilityPublished 10 Jan 2026Updated 12 Jan 2026

CVE-2026-21899: nasa CryptoLib · Out-of-bounds Read

Affects nasa CryptoLibSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.7 Medium : upgrade to 1.4.3 when convenient.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.7Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 27% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 1.4.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade CryptoLib and nasa/CryptoLib to 1.4.3.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
nasaCryptoLib	Affected <1.4.3	Fixed in 1.4.3
GitHubnasa/CryptoLib`pkg:github/nasa/CryptoLib`Other threats	Affected <1.4.3	Fixed in 1.4.3

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

The primary mitigation is to upgrade all instances of NASA's CryptoLib to version 1.4.3 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should audit their software supply chain and embedded systems to identify CryptoLib usage, including indirect dependencies within aerospace and satellite communication software stacks. Implement rigorous input validation and boundary checks in any custom code interfacing with CryptoLib functions to prevent malformed inputs. Employ runtime protections such as memory safety tools and address sanitizers during development and testing to detect similar issues. Restrict access to ground station systems and spacecraft communication interfaces to trusted, authenticated personnel to reduce the risk of exploitation requiring high privileges. Monitor system logs for crashes or anomalies that could indicate attempted exploitation. Establish incident response plans tailored to aerospace communication disruptions. Finally, collaborate with vendors and space agencies to stay informed on updates and advisories related to CryptoLib and related protocols.

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, in base64urlDecode, padding-stripping dereferences input[inputLen - 1] before checking that inputLen > 0 or that input != NULL. For inputLen == 0, this becomes an OOB read at input[-1], potentially crashing the process. If input == NULL and inputLen == 0, it dereferences NULL - 1. This issue has been patched in version 1.4.3.

Impact

For European organizations, especially those involved in aerospace, satellite communications, or space research, this vulnerability could disrupt secure communications between spacecraft and ground stations, potentially leading to denial of service or leakage of sensitive mission data. The out-of-bounds read could cause system crashes, impacting availability of critical communication links. Confidentiality and integrity risks arise if memory contents are exposed or corrupted. Given the specialized use of CryptoLib in space systems, the impact is significant for entities relying on this software for mission-critical operations. Disruptions could affect satellite control, data acquisition, and command execution, with downstream effects on scientific research, telecommunications, and defense. Although exploitation requires high privileges, insider threats or compromised ground station systems could leverage this flaw. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time.

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessCWE Top 25 (2025): #8
The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design · Language Selection
Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Overread Buffers (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 17 Jan 2026, 07:48 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-125

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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