CVE-2026-15352 in Core Flight System
Summary
by MITRE • 07/16/2026
A vulnerability exists in the Health & Safety (HS) application of NASA's Core Flight System (cFS). The flaw allows the application to crash via segmentation fault when processing a routine Housekeeping Telemetry request, leading to denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2026
The vulnerability identified in NASA's Core Flight System cFS Health & Safety application represents a critical security flaw that could compromise mission-critical space operations. This weakness manifests as a segmentation fault during routine Housekeeping Telemetry request processing, fundamentally undermining the system's reliability and operational integrity. The Health & Safety application serves as a vital component within NASA's spacecraft flight software architecture, responsible for monitoring and managing critical system parameters to ensure safe operation throughout mission phases.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the Housekeeping Telemetry processing module. When the application receives a malformed or unexpectedly structured telemetry request, it fails to properly handle the data boundaries, resulting in unauthorized memory access patterns that trigger segmentation faults. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the application does not implement proper bounds checking or error handling mechanisms before processing incoming data structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it creates a potential denial of service scenario that could severely disrupt mission operations. Spacecraft telemetry systems are essential for monitoring vehicle health, tracking mission parameters, and enabling ground-based decision making. When the Health & Safety application becomes unresponsive due to segmentation faults during routine housekeeping operations, it can prevent critical data from being collected and transmitted to ground control. This disruption could lead to mission-critical information gaps, forcing mission operators to rely on alternative monitoring methods or potentially aborting important operational phases.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. The flaw could be exploited by adversaries who craft malicious telemetry requests designed to trigger the segmentation fault repeatedly, creating sustained denial of service conditions that prevent normal system operations. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1070.004, which involves the manipulation of information systems through software exploitation. The segmentation fault behavior could be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks targeting other components within the cFS architecture.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and memory boundary checking mechanisms throughout the telemetry processing pipeline. Developers should employ static analysis tools to identify potential buffer overflow conditions and incorporate defensive programming practices such as bounds checking, null pointer validation, and proper error handling routines. The implementation of sandboxing techniques for telemetry request processing could isolate problematic inputs and prevent cascading failures throughout the system. Regular security testing including fuzzing campaigns targeting telemetry interfaces would help identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in operational environments. Additionally, implementing robust logging and monitoring capabilities around telemetry processing activities would enable rapid detection of exploitation attempts and provide forensic data for incident response activities.