Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2025-29913 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125) vulnerability in Nasa Cryptolib. Its CVSS base score is 8.9 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 48th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-29913 is a critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the CryptoLib library, versions 1.3.3 and prior. CryptoLib implements a software-only solution based on the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDLS-EP) for securing communications between a spacecraft running the core Flight System (cFS) and a ground station. The flaw resides in the `Crypto_TC_Prep_AAD` function, where an unsigned integer underflow occurs during the computation of `tc_mac_start_index`. This miscalculation fails to ensure the index stays within the bounds of the `ingest` buffer, resulting in an attempt to access an out-of-bounds memory location and a segmentation fault. The issue is associated with CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) and CWE-191 (Integer Underflow), and it persists in the repository as of commit `d3cc420ace96d02a5b7e83d88cbd2e48010d5723`.
The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), earning a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical) with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). An attacker capable of sending telecommands (TC) to the affected system—such as a ground station or spacecraft—can supply a maliciously crafted TC frame to trigger the underflow. This leads to a denial of service via segmentation fault or, potentially, remote code execution if the out-of-bounds access allows further exploitation.
The GitHub security advisory at https://github.com/nasa/CryptoLib/security/advisories/GHSA-q4v2-fvrv-qrf6 provides further details on the issue. No specific patches or mitigations are detailed in the available information beyond awareness of the ongoing presence in the repository.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-6608
Vulnerability Data
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. A critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability was…
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identified in the `Crypto_TC_Prep_AAD` function of CryptoLib versions 1.3.3 and prior. This vulnerability allows an attacker to trigger a Denial of Service (DoS) or potentially execute arbitrary code (RCE) by providing a maliciously crafted telecommand (TC) frame that causes an unsigned integer underflow. The vulnerability lies in the function `Crypto_TC_Prep_AAD`, specifically during the computation of `tc_mac_start_index`. The affected code incorrectly calculates the MAC start index without ensuring it remains within the bounds of the `ingest` buffer. When `tc_mac_start_index` underflows due to an incorrect length calculation, the function attempts to access an out-of-bounds memory location, leading to a segmentation fault. The vulnerability is still present in the repository as of commit `d3cc420ace96d02a5b7e83d88cbd2e48010d5723`.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation directly finds out-of-bounds read flaws through static analysis, fuzzing, and dynamic bounds checks.
Secure engineering principles require bounds checking and memory-safe constructs that stop out-of-bounds reads from being introduced.
Process isolation confines the effects of an out-of-bounds read to the compromised process.
Input validation rejects malformed indices or lengths that would otherwise cause reads outside buffer bounds.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent integer underflow defects via input validation, bounds checking, and static analysis.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover instances of out-of-bounds reads after code is deployed.
Routine patching replaces vulnerable code containing out-of-bounds read flaws.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development and acceptance includes fuzzing and static analysis that detect out-of-bounds read defects before release.
Logging can record evidence of an out-of-bounds read but does not prevent the weakness itself.
Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and bounds checking that directly prevent out-of-bounds reads.
Application security requirements include explicit bounds and memory-safety specifications that mitigate buffer over-reads.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require memory-safe design patterns and runtime protections against out-of-bounds access.
Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe pointer arithmetic and mandate bounds-checked reads, eliminating CWE-125.