CVE-2026-14508 in DataPower Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
IBM DataPower Gateway 10.5.0.0 through 10.5.0.22, 10.6.1 through 10.6.6, 10.6.0.0 through 10.6.0.10, and 11.0.0.0 through 11.0.0.2 could allow a remote attacker to cause a denial of service and obtain sensitive information due to a use-after-free.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The vulnerability identified in IBM DataPower Gateway versions ranging from 10.5.0.0 through 10.5.0.22, 10.6.1 through 10.6.6, and specific builds of the 10.6.0.x and 11.0.0.x series represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper memory management within the application's core processing logic. This use-after-free condition occurs when the software continues to reference a memory block after it has been freed or deallocated by the system. In the context of IBM DataPower Gateway, which serves as an API gateway and integration platform handling high volumes of XML, JSON, and other structured data formats, such a flaw is particularly dangerous because these platforms often parse complex inputs from untrusted sources. When a remote attacker crafts malicious input that triggers this specific memory state transition, they can exploit the dangling pointer to execute arbitrary code or disrupt normal operations without needing prior authentication in many configurations, depending on how the gateway exposes its services.
From a technical perspective, the root cause aligns with CWE-416, which classifies use-after-free errors as a category of memory corruption vulnerabilities. These flaws typically arise when an object is freed but pointers to that object are not nullified or removed from active lists, allowing subsequent operations to access stale data. In IBM DataPower Gateway, this likely occurs during the parsing or transformation phase where temporary buffers are allocated and released rapidly. If the application logic fails to properly synchronize these memory states with ongoing processing threads, an attacker can manipulate the heap structure. This manipulation allows for information disclosure by reading sensitive data that was previously stored in the now-freed memory region, such as internal configuration details, session tokens, or other users' private data residing in adjacent memory blocks. Furthermore, sophisticated exploitation of this flaw could lead to remote code execution, although the primary reported impact is denial of service and information leakage.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes. A successful exploit can result in a complete denial of service by causing the DataPower Gateway process to terminate unexpectedly or enter an unstable state where it cannot handle further requests. This disrupts business continuity for organizations relying on the gateway for API management, web services acceleration, and security policy enforcement. More critically, the ability to obtain sensitive information poses severe compliance risks under regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS. Attackers could potentially exfiltrate credentials, internal network topology details, or proprietary data processed by the gateway. The presence of this vulnerability in multiple major release lines indicates a systemic issue within specific versions that requires immediate attention to prevent widespread exploitation across enterprise environments utilizing these legacy or mid-range builds.
In terms of threat modeling and adversary behavior, this vulnerability maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, as well as techniques related to Memory Corruption like T1207 if used for stealthy persistence. The attack vector is classified as Remote (Network) with Low Complexity, meaning it can be exploited over a network without requiring user interaction or complex setup by the attacker. This makes it highly attractive for automated scanning and widespread attacks targeting exposed API endpoints or web services protected by IBM DataPower Gateway. Organizations must recognize that this is not merely an internal stability issue but a significant external attack surface exposure that compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability principles of information security.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running the affected versions of IBM DataPower Gateway should immediately apply the latest available patches or service updates provided by IBM. These updates typically include code changes that enforce proper memory lifecycle management, ensuring that pointers are invalidated after deallocation and adding bounds checking to prevent access to freed memory regions. Until patching is feasible, administrators should implement strict network-level controls such as Web Application Firewalls (WAF) configured with rulesets designed to detect anomalous XML or JSON payloads that might trigger the vulnerability. Additionally, limiting exposure of DataPower Gateway interfaces to trusted IP ranges and enforcing strong authentication mechanisms can reduce the attack surface. Regular monitoring for unusual process behavior or memory usage spikes on gateway appliances is also recommended as a defensive measure while remediation efforts are underway.