NASA cFS Ground System Deserialization RCE via Pickle

NASA cFS 7.0.0 Code Execution Vulnerability Summary Vulnerability Overview Vulnerability Type: Deserialization Vulnerability / Arbitrary Code Execution Affected Component: NASA cFS Ground System (Python Backend) Description: An attacker can exploit a deserialization flaw by modifying a Python pickle payload in the , injecting arbitrary Python code during deserialization via the method. Trigger Mechanism: The malicious code executes when an operator opens the corresponding command page in the Ground System GUI. Attack Surface: A malicious pickle payload as small as 62 bytes can execute arbitrary OS commands. Serialized data (command descriptors, parameters) consists solely of Python lists and strings, with no technical constraints on pickle usage. JSON is a direct drop-in replacement. Impact Scope Affected Files: (Lines 68–69, 170–178) (Lines 71–72) Attack Requirement: The attacker must have write access to or to modify pickle files. Remediation Recommended Fix: Replace pickle with JSON for serialization/deserialization. Expected Behavior: Command descriptor files should be deserialized into a safe format (e.g., JSON), which does not support arbitrary code execution. Security Principle: No pickle file should be loaded without integrity verification. Vulnerable Code Snippet (Code Snips) The following code snippet from contains the core vulnerability: Proof of Concept (To Reproduce) 1. Craft a malicious pickle file using Python’s to invoke with an arbitrary command. 2. Place the file in the of the cFS Ground System. 3. Launch the Ground System and navigate to the command page that loads the pickle file. 4. The embedded command executes with operator privileges — confirmed via creation of a harmless marker file. Proof-of-concept source and output available upon request.

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NASA cFS Ground System Deserialization RCE via Pickle