Executive brief
NASA's cFS (core Flight System) is a real-time embedded operating system used for spacecraft and aerospace applications. A vulnerability in the Executive Services component allows an attacker to upload a malicious executable file and then trigger its execution with root privileges through the ES_StartApp command, potentially taking full control of the spacecraft's flight computer.
Technical details
The vulnerability is an insufficient access control flaw in the Executive Services (ES) dynamic application startup component. An attacker can leverage the CFDP (CCSDS File Delivery Protocol) file ingress path to place a malicious shared object (.so file) into a writable directory (/cf), and then use the CFE_ES_START_APP_CC command to load and execute that module with no integrity verification. The attack requires network access to the UDP command interface and the ability to send CFDP packets; if the cFS process runs as root (common in sample deployments), the injected code executes with root privileges. The root cause is the lack of validation between untrusted file storage paths and executable module loading, creating a direct privilege escalation vector. Patches are available through NASA cFS project updates that implement stricter controls.
Affected products
- NASA cFS (core Flight System) v7.0.1
Timeline
- 2026-06-28: disclosed
- 2026-08-04: advisory