# CVE-2025-29910: CryptoLib's crypto_handle_incrementing_nontransmitted_counter Function has Memory Leak

> A memory leak in CryptoLib's counter handling function can cause resource exhaustion and denial of service in long-running space communication systems.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Mar 2025
- **Updated:** 18 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p38w-p2r8-g6g5

## What is CVE-2025-29910?

CVE-2025-29910 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in nasa CryptoLib, published on 17 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

CryptoLib provides a software-only solution using the CCSDS Space Data Link Security Protocol - Extended Procedures (SDLS-EP) to secure communications between a spacecraft running the core Flight System (cFS) and a ground station. A memory leak vulnerability was identified in the `crypto_handle_incrementing_nontransmitted_counter` function of CryptoLib versions 1.3.3 and prior. This vulnerability can lead to resource exhaustion and degraded system performance over time, particularly in long-running processes or systems processing large volumes of data. The vulnerability is present in the `crypto_handle_incrementing_nontransmitted_counter` function within `crypto_tc.c`. The function allocates memory using `malloc` without ensuring the allocated memory is always freed. This issue can lead to resource exhaustion, reduced system performance, and potentially a Denial of Service (DoS) in environments where CryptoLib is used in long-running processes or with large volumes of data. Any system using CryptoLib, especially those handling high-throughput or continuous data streams, could be impacted. As of time of publication, no known patched versions are available.

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-29910?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Nasa Cryptolib.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-29910?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-29910 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-29910 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-29910 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in nasa CryptoLib

- [CVE-2025-30216](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-30216/): CryptoLib Has Heap Overflow in Crypto_TM_ProcessSecurity due to Unchecked Secondary Header Length (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2025-30356](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-30356/): Heap Buffer Overflow via Incomplete Length Check in `Crypto_TC_ApplySecurity` (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2025-29909](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29909/): CryptoLib's Crypto_TC_ApplySecurity() Has a Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (high 8.9)
- [CVE-2025-29911](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29911/): CryptoLib Has Heap Buffer Overflow in Crypto_AOS_ProcessSecurity Function (high 8.9)
- [CVE-2025-29912](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29912/): CryptoLib Has Heap Buffer Overflow Due to Unsigned Integer Underflow in Crypto_TC_ProcessSecurity (high 8.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-29910 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-29910 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in nasa CryptoLib, published on 17 Mar 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-29910 exists.

Affected product: nasa CryptoLib. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29910/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29910/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-29910
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-29910
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-29910

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29910/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.