Khaberni - An American company specializing in cybersecurity revealed a critical vulnerability in the communication software between NASA's spacecraft and Earth, which remained undiscovered for three years before it was finally detected and completely addressed by an AI system within just four days.
The vulnerability appeared in the "Cryptolib" program used to secure communications between spacecraft and the ground control center, and it enabled hackers to control sensitive space missions, including Mars exploration vehicles.
According to researchers at the emerging cybersecurity company based in California, this vulnerability could be exploited by gaining access to the system operators' login data, whether by phishing methods or by viruses on devices left in easily accessible places.
The researchers explained that the vulnerability allows the routine authentication settings to be converted into an offensive tool, enabling hackers to enter commands that execute with full privileges on the system, meaning potential control of the vehicle or interception of data exchanged with the control center.
They added that the vulnerability allowed hackers to potentially control countless space missions, including NASA rovers on the surface of Mars.
The researchers indicated in a post on the company's website that the security system designed to protect spacecraft communications contained a vulnerability that could completely undermine that protection, confirming that the flaw in this program posed a threat to the space infrastructure worth billions of dollars and the scientific missions it supports.
The vulnerability was found in the authentication system, where it could be exploited through compromised operator credentials, as attackers could obtain NASA employees' usernames and passwords through social engineering and methods like phishing or infecting computers with viruses loaded on USB drives.
They confirmed that the vulnerability had survived several human code reviews over the three years it existed, while the independent analyst supported by artificial intelligence detected the problem and helped fix it within four days.
The incident underscores that automated analysis tools have become essential in the field of cybersecurity, alongside human reviews that remain valuable, but independent analysts can systematically examine entire codebases, identify suspect patterns, and work continuously as the code evolves.
