External risk intelligence

IBM DataPower Gateway Buffer Overflow Vulnerability.

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2026-14992

IBM DataPower Gateway is an enterprise-grade internet edge gateway, API gateway, and integration appliance. By design, these products are deployed to act as the interface between public-facing traffic and internal systems, making them inherently internet-exposed in typical deployment patterns.

Out-of-bounds Write

Halo Surface Signal: 5 out of 5 — more likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A critical vulnerability has been identified in IBM DataPower Gateway products, related to a buffer overflow. This type of issue can potentially allow unauthorized access and control over the affected systems. Given DataPower's role as an internet edge and API gateway, it is frequently exposed to external traffic, increasing the relevance of this vulnerability. The primary concern at this stage is to confirm if our environment utilizes the affected technology and to what extent.

Vulnerability in IBM DataPower Gateway.
It's an internet-facing gateway product.
Confirm if this technology is in use.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted network requests to an exposed IBM DataPower Gateway. This could lead to a buffer overflow, potentially allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service.

Network access required.
Vulnerable component accepts malicious input.
Arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A buffer overflow vulnerability in IBM DataPower Gateway could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system when specific conditions are met. This could impact the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected gateway.

Gateway system commands and data.
Attacker sends crafted network packets.
Unauthenticated remote code execution.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

IBM DataPower Gateway is typically deployed as an internet-facing appliance, making it critical for infrastructure and network/security teams to manage. The first practical step is to identify all instances of the affected technology, assess their exposure and business criticality, and then assign ownership for remediation planning.

Infrastructure and security teams own the issue.
Verify external reachability and business impact.
Plan remediation based on assessed risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is IBM DataPower Gateway?

It is an enterprise-grade appliance designed to function as an API and internet edge gateway. Organizations deploy it as a specialized intermediary to manage, secure, and route traffic between public internet services and their private backend systems. Because it acts as a primary entry point, it handles heavy request processing for web services and cloud integration.

What does the CVE-2026-14992 buffer overflow mean?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787, or Out-of-bounds Write. It occurs when the software writes more data to a memory buffer than it is configured to hold. By sending specifically structured network input, an attacker can overwrite adjacent memory, potentially leading to unauthorized system control or crashing the service.

How is this vulnerability triggered?

An attacker triggers the flaw by sending crafted network packets to the gateway. The vulnerability requires the appliance to process this malicious input. It is not triggered by standard, well-formed traffic, nor does it require the attacker to have pre-existing authentication or user credentials to initiate the request.

Why is this IBM DataPower vulnerability relevant?

According to Halo Surface Signal, these gateways are architecturally designed to sit at the edge of a network, meaning they are often directly exposed to the internet. Since the vulnerability allows remote, unauthenticated interaction, any instance facing the public web is highly accessible to unauthorized parties, making assessment a priority.

Do I need to take action if I use this software?

Yes. First, perform a comprehensive inventory to locate all DataPower instances within your environment. Once identified, evaluate the business criticality and network exposure of each device. Coordinate with your infrastructure and security teams to review official IBM guidance and begin the remediation planning process.

References

www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7289775

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.