CVE-2026-14507 in DataPower Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
IBM DataPower Gateway 11.0.0.0 through 11.0.0.2 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to cause a denial of service due to improper memory allocation during key derivation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM DataPower Gateway versions 11.0.0.0 through 11.0.0.2 represents a critical security flaw rooted in the application's cryptographic subsystem, specifically within the logic governing key derivation processes. As an enterprise-grade integration platform and API gateway, DataPower handles sensitive data exchanges across complex network environments, making its internal handling of encryption keys paramount to overall system integrity. The specific defect involves improper memory allocation during these cryptographic operations, which indicates a failure in resource management protocols when processing requests that trigger key generation or derivation routines. This flaw is not merely a logical error but a fundamental breakdown in how the application manages dynamic memory resources under load, creating an exploitable condition for remote authenticated attackers who have valid credentials to interact with the gateway services.
From a technical perspective, improper memory allocation during cryptographic operations often leads to conditions such as integer overflows or insufficient buffer sizing checks that result in excessive resource consumption. When an attacker sends specially crafted requests designed to trigger key derivation multiple times or with specific parameters, the application may attempt to allocate more memory than is available or fail to release previously allocated blocks correctly. This behavior can rapidly exhaust system resources, leading to a state where the gateway becomes unresponsive to legitimate traffic. The impact is strictly categorized as a denial of service, meaning that while confidentiality and integrity might remain intact if the attack succeeds in crashing the service rather than exploiting it further, the availability component of the CIA triad is severely compromised. This can result in significant operational downtime for organizations relying on DataPower for API mediation, protocol transformation, or secure messaging services.
The classification of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes a missing release of memory after effective usage, and potentially CWE-789, concerning the use of memory that has already been freed if the allocation logic is flawed in its tracking mechanisms. Furthermore, from an offensive security standpoint as defined by the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability facilitates the T1499 endpoint denial of service tactic. Attackers leverage such flaws to degrade or destroy the availability of computing resources, effectively disrupting business continuity without necessarily needing to exfiltrate data or compromise system integrity directly. The requirement for authentication means that the attack surface is limited to users with valid access credentials, which reduces the risk profile compared to unauthenticated exploits but does not eliminate it entirely, as compromised internal accounts can be leveraged by threat actors already inside a network perimeter.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural resilience. The primary action required is to apply the vendor-provided security patch or update IBM DataPower Gateway to version 11.0.0.3 or later, where these memory allocation routines have been corrected to enforce strict bounds checking and proper resource cleanup protocols. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, network-level controls should be implemented to restrict access to the key derivation endpoints only from trusted internal subnets, thereby reducing the attack surface for authenticated users who might attempt exploitation. Additionally, implementing rate limiting on cryptographic operations can help mitigate the impact by preventing a single source from overwhelming system resources through rapid successive requests. Regular auditing of authentication logs and monitoring for unusual spikes in CPU or memory usage associated with gateway services are also recommended to detect potential abuse attempts early before they result in full service degradation.