Resource Exhaustion or Contention - IMP-0013

Resource Exhaustion or Contention is the deliberate depletion or monopolization of a finite spacecraft resource. Exhaustion reduces the available capacity. Contention prevents legitimate functions from obtaining the resource when needed. The resource may support computing, storage, or communications. It may also support power, thermal control, or physical actuation. Consumables such as propellant are within scope. This mechanism applies even when availability later recovers. Changing resource limits or allocation rules is Configuration Manipulation. Falsifying resource status is Data Manipulation. Vector: Illustrative Application Collect: If the objective is Collect, an adversary could gradually consume processing capacity or electrical power to monitor and identify system thresholds, automated responses, and operator procedures. Pivot: If the objective is Pivot, an adversary could deliberately deplete propellant to provoke a close-proximity inspection and create an otherwise unavailable attack path or proximity window for operations against the inspecting spacecraft. Subvert: TIf the objective is Subvert, an adversary could consume processor capacity or electrical power until legitimate mission functions operate below required performance. Seize: If the objective is Seize, an adversary could monopolize command-processing or payload resources to exclude the legitimate operator and reserve the capability for unauthorized use. Disable: If the objective is Disable, an adversary could exhaust propellant or another mission-critical consumable until the spacecraft can no longer perform its intended mission or an essential mission function.