CVE-2026-50696
Summary
by MITRE • 07/14/2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Protocol allows an unauthorized attacker to deny service over a network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the Windows Internet Key Exchange protocol implementation that enables remote denial of service attacks. The flaw exists in how the IKE protocol processes certain malformed packets during the security association negotiation phase, specifically when handling encrypted payloads that exceed allocated memory boundaries. When an attacker crafts malicious IKE packets with oversized data fields, the vulnerable code fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data into heap-allocated buffers, resulting in memory corruption that can trigger application crashes or system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through network-based attacks where unauthorized actors send specially crafted IKE messages to target systems running Windows operating systems. The attack vector operates at the network layer using UDP port 500 for IKE communication and requires no authentication credentials to initiate. The buffer overflow condition manifests when the IKE daemon processes malformed payloads that exceed predetermined buffer sizes, causing memory corruption in heap-allocated structures used for cryptographic operations and security parameter storage. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow classification and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks.
The operational impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system stability and availability of critical network infrastructure. Organizations relying on Windows-based VPN services, remote access solutions, or IPsec-protected communications may experience complete service outages when this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in environments where IKE is used for site-to-site connections or client authentication. The attack can be executed from any location with network connectivity to the target system, making it a significant risk for enterprise networks, cloud deployments, and remote worker environments that depend on secure communication channels.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Microsoft security updates addressing the specific heap overflow vulnerability in IKE protocol implementations, along with network-level controls such as firewall rules restricting IKE traffic to trusted sources only. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect abnormal IKE traffic patterns and establish incident response procedures for rapid containment of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access control measures can reduce the attack surface by limiting exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks, while regular vulnerability assessments help identify additional related weaknesses in network security infrastructure that may require remediation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in cryptographic protocol implementations and highlights the need for robust memory management practices in security-critical system components.