Memory Leak in strongSwan IKE Message Parser

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in strongSwan (CVE-2026-78127) is a memory leak in the libcharon component during IKE message parsing. When libcharon tries to log an IKE message, it fails to release memory allocated for enumerators if the buffer space is exhausted. This causes a small memory leak of up to 80 bytes per message (40 bytes in older versions).

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Detection Guidance

Monitor system memory usage for unusual exhaustion patterns during IKE message processing. Check strongSwan logs for failed memory allocations or enumerator leaks. Use tools like 'top' or 'htop' to observe memory consumption by strongSwan processes.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted IKE messages to cause memory exhaustion, leading to a denial of service. While strongSwan's DoS protection slows this down, it may still occur on systems with limited memory. Remote code execution is not possible.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily causes a denial of service through memory exhaustion, which could disrupt services handling sensitive data. While it does not directly lead to data breaches, prolonged service disruption may impact compliance with GDPR or HIPAA by affecting availability of systems processing personal or health information. However, no evidence suggests this flaw enables unauthorized data access or disclosure.

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Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade to strongSwan 6.1.0 or apply vendor-provided patches for older versions. Disable debugging levels 1 and higher during compilation to prevent memory leaks from enumerator exhaustion.

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