CVE-2026-60112 in AIT-GUI
Summary
by MITRE • 07/29/2026
AMMOS Instrument Toolkit (AIT) GUI before 2.5.1 contains a missing authentication vulnerability that allows any unauthenticated network attacker to obtain a valid session and issue arbitrary spacecraft commands by calling Sessions.create() without any credential check. Attackers can exploit the unauthenticated session issuance in Sessions.create() and subsequently invoke handle_cmd() to forward arbitrary commands directly to the AIT command bus without any authentication gate between session creation and command dispatch.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2026
The AMMOS Instrument Toolkit (AIT) GUI vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines fundamental authentication mechanisms within spacecraft command systems. This weakness exists in versions prior to 2.5.1 and creates a pathway for unauthorized network actors to bypass authentication entirely. The vulnerability stems from the Sessions.create() method which fails to validate credentials before establishing sessions, allowing any remote attacker to obtain valid session tokens without proper authorization. This missing authentication check fundamentally compromises the security model of the system by removing the essential barrier between unauthorized access and command execution.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic authentication bypass vulnerability where the system assumes that session creation should be protected but fails to enforce any credential validation during this process. When an attacker invokes Sessions.create() without providing credentials, the system proceeds to establish a valid session token that can then be used for subsequent operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it creates a direct execution path from session establishment to command dispatch through the handle_cmd() function. This design flaw eliminates any authentication gate between session creation and command processing, allowing attackers to issue spacecraft commands directly to the AIT command bus without proper authorization.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to spacecraft security and mission integrity. Spacecraft command systems are typically designed with multiple layers of authentication and authorization to prevent unauthorized access to critical flight operations. The ability for unauthenticated attackers to obtain valid sessions and issue arbitrary commands directly to the spacecraft command bus represents a complete breakdown of these security controls. This vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to manipulate spacecraft operations, alter mission parameters, or even cause catastrophic system failures depending on the nature of the commands that can be issued through this channel.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the credential access and execution tactics, where adversaries exploit missing authentication controls to gain unauthorized access to systems. From a CWE perspective, this represents a variant of CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication vulnerabilities, specifically highlighting the absence of proper credential validation during session creation processes. Organizations implementing AIT GUI solutions should consider immediate remediation through patching to version 2.5.1 or later, where authentication mechanisms have been properly implemented and enforced.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of the patched version 2.5.1 which addresses the missing authentication controls in Sessions.create(). System administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to AIT GUI components and establish monitoring for unauthorized session creation attempts. Additional security measures may involve implementing additional authentication layers, such as multi-factor authentication or API key validation, to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their spacecraft command systems to identify other potential authentication bypass opportunities that could compromise mission-critical operations through similar design flaws.