MI-MALW-02 - Mission Software, Programmable Logic Devices, and Firmware Integrity Function

Principle

The mission should establish and verify the integrity of its software images.

Rationale

On-orbit software updates/upgrades/patches. If TT&C is compromised or MOC or even the developer's environment, the risk exists to do a variation of a supply chain attack where after it is in orbit you inject malicious code or direct writes to memory. New or modified virus or malware will not be identified without updated manufacturer definitions. Blocks, removes, or recommends patches of commonly known virus or malware used to disrupt computer operations, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. Virus and malware includes: computer worms, trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, etc.

Related Countermeasures

ID Name Description NIST Rev 5
CM0024 Anti-counterfeit Hardware Counterfeit electronic components represent a direct supply chain threat to space mission integrity, introducing hardware that may fail prematurely, perform outside specification, or contain malicious functionality deliberately embedded by an adversary during manufacture or distribution. A formal anti-counterfeit program must establish policy and procedures that span the entire component acquisition and integration lifecycle, from supplier qualification and procurement through incoming inspection, storage, and installation. The program must address two distinct but related risks: counterfeit components that fail to perform their intended function, degrading mission reliability; and deliberately tampered components that introduce malicious hardware functionality or create pathways for malicious code execution. Anti-counterfeit controls must include measures appropriate to component criticality and supply chain risk to authenticate components, detect evidence of tampering, and resist unauthorized modification. Detection and prevention must be treated as complementary objectives: prevention through qualified sourcing and procurement controls, detection through inspection and authentication techniques applied before components enter the system. AC-14 AC-20(5) CM-7(9) PL-8 PL-8(1) PM-30 PM-30(1) RA-3(1) SA-10(3) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-3 SA-4(5) SA-8 SA-8(11) SA-8(13) SA-8(16) SA-9 SR-1 SR-10 SR-11 SR-11(3) SR-2 SR-2(1) SR-3 SR-4 SR-4(1) SR-4(2) SR-4(3) SR-4(4) SR-5 SR-5(2) SR-6(1) SR-9 SR-9(1)
CM0025 Supplier Review A supplier review is a structured pre-contract assessment conducted before entering into any agreement with a contractor or subcontractor for the acquisition of systems, system components, or system services. The review evaluates the prospective supplier's security posture, trustworthiness, and capability to deliver components or services that meet the mission's integrity and assurance requirements, before contractual commitments are made and before the supplier gains access to mission information or influence over mission systems. Supplier reviews reduce the risk of introducing supply chain vulnerabilities through poorly qualified, compromised, or adversary-influenced suppliers at any tier of the acquisition chain. The rigor and depth of the review should be calibrated to the criticality of the components or services being acquired, with suppliers of mission-critical hardware, software, or services subject to the most intensive assessment. Supplier review findings should inform not only the decision to contract but also the specific security requirements, oversight provisions, and flow-down obligations included in the resulting agreement. PL-8 PL-8(1) PL-8(2) PM-30 PM-30(1) RA-3(1) SA-11 SA-11(3) SA-17 SA-2 SA-3 SA-8 SA-9 SR-11 SR-3(1) SR-3(3) SR-4 SR-4(1) SR-4(2) SR-4(3) SR-4(4) SR-5 SR-5(1) SR-5(2) SR-6
CM0026 Original Component Manufacturer Hardware components that cannot be sourced directly from the original component manufacturer (OCM) or an authorized franchised distributor, and software that cannot be obtained from the original publisher, developer, or an authorized distribution channel, represent elevated supply-chain risk and must not be procured or incorporated into the mission system without documented approval from the program’s supply-chain governance authority. Sourcing hardware from the OCM or authorized franchised distributors provides greater assurance of component authenticity, traceability, and conformance to specification. Obtaining software from the original publisher, developer, or an authorized distribution channel similarly reduces the risk of unauthorized, altered, fraudulent, or malicious software. Deviations from these approved sourcing channels introduce additional supply-chain risk that must be assessed before acceptance. The approval process for non-OCM-sourced items must evaluate the specific risk posed by the alternative source, the criticality of the component or software to mission function, the availability and adequacy of compensating inspection and authentication measures, and whether a compliant source can be identified before accepting the deviation. This governance requirement applies to hardware components, firmware, and software, although the applicable sourcing and authentication methods differ. Hardware controls should address component authenticity and traceability, while software controls should address publisher or developer provenance, distribution-channel integrity, license legitimacy, and cryptographic verification where available. AC-20(5) PL-8 PL-8(1) PL-8(2) PM-30 PM-30(1) RA-3(1) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-3 SA-8 SA-9 SR-1 SR-11 SR-2 SR-2(1) SR-3 SR-3(1) SR-3(3) SR-4 SR-4(1) SR-4(2) SR-4(3) SR-4(4) SR-5 SR-5(1) SR-5(2)
CM0027 ASIC/FPGA Manufacturing Custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) should be fabricated through accredited trusted foundries, and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices should be procured through trusted suppliers with documented fabrication provenance, to reduce the risk of hardware Trojan insertion or unauthorized modification. Unlike software, hardware trojans embedded during semiconductor manufacturing are extremely difficult to detect through functional testing alone, as they may be designed to activate only under specific operational conditions or remain dormant indefinitely; the integrity of the fabrication source is therefore a primary defense. Trusted foundry accreditation provides assurance that the accredited fabrication activities are subject to security controls intended to reduce the risk of unauthorized modification. Assurance for design, intellectual property, aggregation, packaging, assembly, testing, and distribution must be addressed through trusted suppliers or other controls applicable to those lifecycle stages. This requirement applies to custom ASICs and to the base silicon used in FPGA implementations. The programmable design loaded onto an FPGA requires separate protection because trusted fabrication of the device does not establish the integrity or authenticity of the configured bitstream. AC-14 PL-8 PL-8(1) PL-8(2) PM-30 PM-30(1) RA-3(1) SA-10(3) SA-11 SA-3 SA-8 SA-8(11) SA-8(13) SA-8(16) SA-9 SI-3 SI-3(10) SR-1 SR-11 SR-2 SR-2(1) SR-3 SR-5 SR-5(2) SR-6(1)
CM0028 Tamper Protection Tamper protection encompasses physical and logical controls that detect, deter, and respond to unauthorized modification of mission hardware and software throughout the acquisition, transit, storage, integration, and operational phases of the mission lifecycle. Physical tamper protection requires inspection of hardware at defined custody transfer points to detect evidence of unauthorized access or modification, and requires the use of tamper-evident packaging and sealing mechanisms during shipping and receiving to ensure that any interference with equipment in transit is detectable upon arrival. Logical tamper protection addresses the integrity of software and firmware through layered techniques including code obfuscation, integrity checks that verify software has not been altered from its approved state, and runtime integrity monitoring mechanisms such as self-checking code. Watchdog processes may supplement these controls by detecting abnormal execution or failure to complete expected processing, but do not by themselves verify software integrity. Physical and logical tamper protections are complementary and should be applied together where warranted by system criticality, threat exposure, and lifecycle conditions. Physical access to hardware can enable logical tampering, while failure to verify software integrity can reduce the assurance provided by physical controls. AC-14 AC-25 CA-8(1) CA-8(3) CM-7(9) MA-7 PL-8 PL-8(1) PL-8(2) PM-30 PM-30(1) RA-3(1) SA-10(3) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-3 SA-4(5) SA-4(9) SA-8 SA-8(11) SA-8(13) SA-8(16) SA-8(19) SA-8(31) SA-9 SC-51 SR-1 SR-10 SR-11 SR-11(3) SR-2 SR-2(1) SR-3 SR-4(3) SR-4(4) SR-5 SR-5(2) SR-6(1) SR-9 SR-9(1)
CM0010 Update Software Regular software and firmware updates are a primary mechanism for reducing exploitation risk by remediating known vulnerabilities before adversaries can leverage them against mission systems. Updates must undergo suitable regression testing to verify that security patches do not introduce functional defects or degrade safety-critical behaviors before deployment to operational systems. Release cadence should be governed by a mission-defined update frequency that balances vulnerability severity, exploitability, mission risk tolerance, testing requirements, and operational constraints. The program should define maximum allowable remediation or deployment timeframes (e.g., 30 days) for applicable vulnerability severities rather than applying a single update interval to all software and firmware. Update scheduling must account for operational constraints, coordinating patch deployment with mission downtime windows to avoid disrupting critical operations. Following a successful update, superseded software versions should be removed from active operational use unless retained as an authorized recovery image. Verified restoration images, commonly referred to as gold images, should be retained under access and integrity controls to support recovery when an update introduces unacceptable system behavior or an authorized rollback is operationally required. CM-3(2) CM-3(7) CM-3(8) CM-4 CM-4(1) CM-5(6) CM-7(5) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-3 SA-8 SA-8(30) SA-8(31) SA-8(8) SA-9 SI-2 SI-2(6) SI-7
CM0012 Software Bill of Materials A software bill of materials (SBOM) is a structured inventory of software components, libraries, dependencies, and associated metadata comprising a delivered system, spanning first-party code and available third-party and open-source supply-chain information. The SBOM serves as the foundational reference for continuous vulnerability management: by cross-correlating the component inventory against known vulnerability databases, such as those cataloging common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs), mission owners and operators can rapidly identify which specific system components are affected by newly disclosed vulnerabilities and prioritize remediation accordingly. SBOM generation must cover the full software supply chain, including transitive dependencies that are not explicitly declared in top-level manifests, as these indirect inclusions represent a persistent and frequently exploited blind spot in software inventory programs. An SBOM may reveal component composition and vulnerability-relevant information that could assist adversary reconnaissance. Its classification, sensitivity, dissemination, and handling requirements shall be determined using applicable mission guidance, contractual requirements, and a documented disclosure-risk assessment. If deemed to have sensitive information then the handling controls applied should align to other mission-critical security documentation as defined in CM0001. CM-10 CM-10(1) CM-11 CM-11(3) CM-2 CM-5(6) CM-7(4) CM-7(5) CM-8 CM-8(7) PM-5 RA-5 RA-5(11) SA-10(2) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-11(3) SA-3 SA-4(5) SA-8 SA-8(13) SA-8(29) SA-8(30) SA-8(7) SA-9 SI-7
CM0015 Software Source Control Binary or machine-executable code obtained from sources that provide no warranty and no access to the corresponding source code must not be incorporated into spacecraft or ground systems. This prohibition addresses a fundamental software assurance gap: without source code, missions cannot perform source-based static analysis or independently review and modify implementation details, and may have reduced ability to assess, repair, or extend the software. Code from sources with limited or no warranty and no source code provision may be difficult to independently analyze, repair, or extend and leaves the mission dependent on supplier assurances and remediation capabilities. This countermeasure applies throughout the software supply chain, including components integrated by subcontractors. CM-11 CM-14 CM-2 CM-4 CM-5(6) CM-7(8) SA-10(2) SA-10(4) SA-11 SA-3 SA-4(5) SA-4(9) SA-8 SA-8(19) SA-8(29) SA-8(30) SA-8(31) SA-8(7) SA-9 SI-7
CM0021 Software Digital Signature Each software or firmware image subject to installation or update control shall be verified using an approved digital signature and an approved trust anchor before installation or activation. The trust anchor may be represented by a certificate or by a directly provisioned verification key, depending on the approved trust architecture. Successful verification establishes that the image was signed by an authorized signing identity and has not been modified since signing; it does not establish that the signed code is non-malicious, vulnerability-free, or operationally safe. Signature verification confirms the integrity and approved origin of the software but does not, by itself, prevent installation of an older validly signed version; update authorization and rollback protections must be enforced separately. The verification mechanism must be implemented such that it cannot be bypassed through operational commands, configuration changes, or software updates, and must reject any component whose signature is absent or invalid, or whose signing certificate or trust anchor is not recognized and approved by the mission. Digital signature enforcement complements but is distinct from the boot-time chain of trust established through secure boot; it applies to software installation and update events throughout the operational lifecycle, not only at system startup. AC-14 CM-11 CM-11(3) CM-14 CM-5(6) IA-2 SA-10(1) SA-11 SA-4(5) SA-8(29) SA-8(31) SA-9 SI-7 SI-7(1) SI-7(12) SI-7(15) SI-7(6)
CM0023 Configuration Management Configuration management (CM) for space systems requires automated mechanisms to establish, maintain, validate, and report on the approved baseline configuration of spacecraft and supporting ground systems, ensuring the baseline remains current, complete, and accurate throughout the mission lifecycle. Automated mechanisms should support configuration management by improving the accuracy, currency, and validation of configuration records. Automation does not replace formal change control, engineering review, approval, or other configuration management activities that require human judgment. The approved baseline must be readily accessible to authorized personnel for operational decision-making, anomaly investigation, and change impact assessment. Deviations between the documented baseline and the actual system configuration represent both security and operational risk because undocumented changes may introduce vulnerabilities, mask adversary activity, or produce unpredictable system behavior. Automated validation should identify and report configuration drift at mission-defined intervals or following relevant change events, based on system observability and mission risk. CM-11(3) CM-2 CM-3(4) CM-3(6) CM-3(7) CM-3(8) CM-4 CM-5 CM-5(6) MA-7 SA-10 SA-10(2) SA-10(7) SA-11 SA-3 SA-4(5) SA-4(9) SA-8 SA-8(29) SA-8(30) SA-8(31) SI-7 SR-11(2)
CM0032 On-board Intrusion Detection & Prevention An on-board intrusion detection and prevention system (IDS/IPS) monitors mission-critical spacecraft components and systems, generates and stores audit records, and supports mission-approved responses to detected threats. Depending on the mission architecture, threat, and availability of ground support, responses may be autonomous, ground-directed, or a combination of both. The system should address both known attack patterns and previously unseen anomalous behavior through complementary signature-based and behavior- or anomaly-based detection methods. Machine learning or adaptive technologies may be used when their performance, resource consumption, and failure behavior have been validated for the mission environment. Detection and response coverage should address applicable adversary activities across the attack lifecycle, including initial access, execution, persistence, defense evasion, and exfiltration. The on-board IDS/IPS must be integrated with the spacecraft's traditional fault management system to provide a unified approach to anomaly response, ensuring that cyber-triggered responses are compatible with fault management logic and do not produce unintended effects or fratricide against the spacecraft's own systems; countermeasures that are incompatible with fault management are considered unsafe and must not be executed autonomously. The response hierarchy must prioritize vehicle safety and continued mission operations. Advanced containment or deception responses may be considered when they can be executed without unacceptable mission risk. The system should preserve evidence that supports post-event analysis, threat characterization, and potential attribution by authorized ground support. AU-14 AU-2 AU-3 AU-3(1) AU-4 AU-4(1) AU-5 AU-5(2) AU-5(5) AU-6(1) AU-6(4) AU-8 AU-9 AU-9(2) AU-9(3) CA-7(6) CM-11(3) CP-10 CP-10(4) IR-4 IR-4(11) IR-4(12) IR-4(14) IR-4(5) IR-5 IR-5(1) PL-8 PL-8(1) RA-10 RA-3(4) SA-8(21) SA-8(22) SA-8(23) SC-16(2) SC-32(1) SC-5 SC-5(3) SC-7(10) SC-7(9) SI-10(6) SI-16 SI-17 SI-3 SI-3(10) SI-3(8) SI-4 SI-4(1) SI-4(10) SI-4(11) SI-4(13) SI-4(16) SI-4(17) SI-4(2) SI-4(23) SI-4(24) SI-4(25) SI-4(4) SI-4(5) SI-4(7) SI-6 SI-7(17) SI-7(8)
CM0044 Cyber-safe Mode Cyber-safe mode is a dedicated, configuration-controlled spacecraft operating state entered autonomously or by authorized ground command when mission-defined conditions indicate a credible threat to platform integrity. In this state, nonessential functions are shut down or isolated and the spacecraft operates from an integrity-protected, validated software and configuration baseline. Unlike traditional safe mode, which addresses hardware faults and operational anomalies, cyber-safe mode is specifically designed to respond to cyber threats, providing a secure recovery baseline from which the spacecraft can reconstitute compromised functions. Authentication and encryption must remain enabled within cyber-safe mode, ensuring that the reduced operational state does not degrade the security posture of the vehicle. The cyber-safe mode software and configuration must be stored onboard using hardware-based protections that prevent modification by nominal flight software, ordinary commands, and other untrusted execution paths. Where baseline updates are permitted, they must use a separately authorized and integrity-verified maintenance process that preserves a recoverable trusted version. Following entry into cyber-safe mode, the spacecraft must be capable of reconstituting firmware and software functions to pre-attack capability levels, either autonomously through self-healing mechanisms or with ground assistance, and must be capable of replanning operations based on whatever equipment remains available after the cyber event. The primary recovery objective is restoration of full mission capability; where that is not achievable, the spacecraft should attain the maximum reduced mission capability available given the post-attack system state. CP-10 CP-10(4) CP-12 CP-2 CP-2(5) IR-3 IR-3(1) IR-3(2) IR-4 IR-4(12) IR-4(3) PE-10 PE10 PL-8 PL-8(1) SA-3 SA-8 SA-8(10) SA-8(12) SA-8(13) SA-8(19) SA-8(21) SA-8(23) SA-8(24) SA-8(26) SA-8(3) SA-8(4) SC-16(2) SC-24 SC-5 SI-11 SI-17 SI-4(7) SI-7(17) SI-7(5)
CM0014 Secure boot Secure boot establishes and enforces a cryptographically verified chain of trust from a hardware-anchored root of trust (RoT) through each applicable stage of the startup sequence to the operating system or flight software image. Each stage in the chain must verify the integrity and authenticity of the next before transferring execution control. The boot policy must also prevent execution of unauthorized or revoked images, including unauthorized rollback to an older but validly signed software version. The trust anchor and initial verification function should be immutable after provisioning or protected by hardware-enforced mechanisms that prevent unauthorized modification and preserve their integrity. Components implementing the RoT must also be qualified for the expected mission radiation environment. Radiation tolerance addresses the reliability of the trust anchor, while immutability or protected update mechanisms address its resistance to unauthorized modification. This is particularly critical where radiation-induced bit flips and the physical inaccessibility of on-orbit hardware make a tamper-resistant, immutable hardware anchor essential to sustained boot integrity across the mission lifetime. AC-14 PL-8 PL-8(1) SA-8(10) SA-8(12) SA-8(13) SA-8(3) SA-8(30) SA-8(4) SC-51 SI-7 SI-7(1) SI-7(10) SI-7(9)