Description
A vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) feature of Cisco IOS Software, Cisco IOS XE Software, Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to trigger a memory leak, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device.

This vulnerability is due to improper parsing of IKEv2 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted IKEv2 packets to an affected device. A successful exploit of Cisco IOS Software and IOS XE Software could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. A successful exploit of Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Secure FTD Software could allow the attacker to partially exhaust system memory, resulting in system instability, such as the inability to establish new IKEv2 VPN sessions. A manual reboot of the device is required to recover from this condition.
Published: 2026-03-25
Score: 8.6 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Denial of Service
Action: Patch Now
AI Analysis

Impact

The vulnerability resides in the IKEv2 parsing logic of Cisco IOS, IOS XE, ASA, and FTD software, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to send crafted IKEv2 packets that trigger a memory leak. This leak can exhaust system memory, causing the device to become unstable or requiring a full reboot to recover. The weakness is an instance of improper resource management classified as CWE‑401, and the observable effect is a denial of service that disrupts VPN sessions and overall device availability.

Affected Systems

Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS XE, Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA), and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) are affected. The advisory does not specify particular firmware releases; any build that implements IKEv2 on these platforms falls within the risk scope.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 8.6 indicates high severity. EPSS data is not provided and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting no confirmed large‑scale exploitation yet. The attack vector is remote; an attacker transmits malformed IKEv2 packets over the network to the device. Exploitation requires no authentication and results in a denial of service that can only be resolved by a manual reboot or by applying a vendor patch.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on March 25, 2026 at 19:55 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the latest firmware or software update referenced in the Cisco Security Advisory to fix the IKEv2 memory‑leak flaw.
  • If an update is not immediately available, schedule a forced reboot of the affected device to clear leaked memory and restore normal operation.
  • Monitor device memory usage and VPN session stability; perform periodic reboots if instability persists during the remediation window.
  • Consider limiting or filtering IKEv2 traffic at the network perimeter to reduce exposure to crafted packets from untrusted sources.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on March 25, 2026 at 19:55 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Cisco
Cisco cisco:adaptive Security Appliance Software
Cisco ios
Cisco ios Xe Software
Cisco secure Firewall Threat Defense
Vendors & Products Cisco
Cisco cisco:adaptive Security Appliance Software
Cisco ios
Cisco ios Xe Software
Cisco secure Firewall Threat Defense

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Title Improper IKEv2 Packet Parsing Leading to Denial of Service

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) feature of Cisco IOS Software, Cisco IOS XE Software, Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to trigger a memory leak, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper parsing of IKEv2 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted IKEv2 packets to an affected device. A successful exploit of Cisco IOS Software and IOS XE Software could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. A successful exploit of Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Secure FTD Software could allow the attacker to partially exhaust system memory, resulting in system instability, such as the inability to establish new IKEv2 VPN sessions. A manual reboot of the device is required to recover from this condition.
Weaknesses CWE-401
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.6, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H'}


Subscriptions

Cisco Cisco:adaptive Security Appliance Software Ios Ios Xe Software Secure Firewall Threat Defense
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: cisco

Published:

Updated: 2026-03-26T17:37:50.517Z

Reserved: 2025-10-08T11:59:15.350Z

Link: CVE-2026-20012

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-03-26T17:37:44.994Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-03-25T16:16:10.957

Modified: 2026-03-26T15:13:33.940

Link: CVE-2026-20012

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-03-30T08:00:21Z

Weaknesses