**NASA Spacecraft Vulnerable to Hacking for 3 Years**

Imagine being able to control one of NASA's Mars rovers or intercepting sensitive data from a spacecraft with just a few clicks. Sounds like science fiction, right? Unfortunately, it was all too real for three years until an AI-powered algorithm discovered and fixed a critical vulnerability in the CryptoLib security software that protects communications between Earth and NASA's spacecraft.

The vulnerability, which could have enabled hackers to seize control over countless space missions, was sniffed out by AISLE's autonomous analyzer. The California-based start-up specializes in developing advanced cybersecurity algorithms, and their AI-powered tool detected the flaw in just four days - a feat that even human reviewers couldn't accomplish despite multiple reviews of the code over the three-year period.

The vulnerability resided in the authentication system of CryptoLib, which could have been exploited through compromised operator credentials. For example, attackers could have gained access to user names and passwords of NASA employees through social engineering tactics like phishing or infecting computers with viruses uploaded to USB drives. Once inside, they could have injected arbitrary commands that execute with full system privileges - essentially giving them remote control over the spacecraft.

While it's true that gaining local access to the system would be required to exploit the vulnerability, reducing the attack surface compared to a remotely exploitable flaw, the researchers stressed that the potential consequences were still dire. "The vulnerability transforms what should be routine authentication configuration into a weapon," they wrote in a blog post on AISLE's website.

The discovery highlights the growing importance of AI-powered cybersecurity tools in detecting and fixing vulnerabilities that human reviewers may miss. AISLE's autonomous analyzer demonstrated its capabilities by systematically examining entire codebases, flagging suspicious patterns, and operating continuously as code evolves. The researchers emphasized that automated analysis tools are becoming essential: "Human review remains valuable, but autonomous analyzers can systematically examine entire codebases, flag suspicious patterns, and operate continuously as code evolves."

The revelation serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of cyber attacks in the space industry. With billions of dollars worth of infrastructure at stake, it's imperative that spacecraft communications are secure from unauthorized access.