Detection of Anomalous API Calls in Flight Software

Many FSW have built-in APIs and if malicious software gets onboard the vehicle it could maliciously use the APIs. Detection of anomalous API calls made through the flight software's API interface, indicating possible exploitation of a vulnerability or misconfiguration.

STIX Pattern

[x-opencti-api-log:api_call != 'expected_behavior']

SPARTA TTPs

ID Name Description
EX-0009 Exploit Code Flaws Threats actors may identify and exploit flaws or weaknesses within the software running on-board the target spacecraft. These attacks may be extremely targeted and tailored to specific coding errors introduced as a result of poor coding practices or they may target known issues in the commercial software components.
EX-0009.01 Flight Software Threat actors may abuse known or unknown flight software code flaws in order to further the attack campaign. Some FSW suites contain API functionality for operator interaction. Threat actors may seek to exploit these or abuse a vulnerability/misconfiguration to maliciously execute code or commands. In some cases, these code flaws can perpetuate throughout the victim spacecraft, allowing access to otherwise segmented subsystems.
EX-0010 Inject Malicious Code Threat actors may rely on other tactics and techniques in order to inject malicious code into the victim spacecraft. This can be done via compromising the supply chain or development environment in some capacity or taking advantage of known commands. However, once malicious code has been uploaded to the victim spacecraft, the threat actor can then trigger the code to run via a specific command or wait for a legitimate user to trigger it accidently. The code itself can do a number of different things to the hosted payload, subsystems, or underlying OS.