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CVE-2026-33824 is a critical double-free vulnerability discovered in the Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Extension, a core component responsible for handling VPN and secure network communications using the IKE protocol. This flaw resides in how the IKE service manages memory allocation and deallocation for specific network packets. An unauthorized, remote attacker can trigger this vulnerability by sending specially crafted IKE packets to a target system over the network. The double-free condition occurs when the service attempts to free a memory region twice, leading to memory corruption. This corruption can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code in the context of the system, typically with elevated privileges as the IKE service runs with high integrity.
The vulnerability is particularly severe due to the network-adjacent attack vector, meaning an attacker does not need prior access to the system. Exploitation requires only the ability to send packets to the IKE service, which is exposed on UDP ports 500 and 4500 by default for IPsec and IKE operations. Successful exploitation could lead to a complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install programs, view or modify data, or create new accounts with full user rights. The issue affects multiple versions of Windows 10 and 11, as well as Windows Server editions, spanning from older builds to the latest 2025 releases. The CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog lists this CVE, indicating active exploitation in the wild, and mandates urgent mitigation actions.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Windows 10/11, Server
Version: 10.0.14393 – 28000
Vulnerability: Double Free in IKE
Severity: Critical
date: April 14, 2026
Prediction: August 21, 2026
What Undercode Say:
Check if system is vulnerable wmic os get version Verify IKE service status sc query IKEEXT Check for applied patches wmic qfe list | findstr "KB5000000" Network detection for IKE ports nmap -p 500,4500 <target_ip>
Exploit: (Educational Purposes!)
Conceptual trigger - Send malformed IKE packets
import socket
packet = b'\x00' 1024 Crafted payload
sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
sock.sendto(packet, ('<target_ip>', 500))
Protection:
- Apply vendor security updates immediately.
- Block UDP ports 500 and 4500 at firewall if not required.
- Disable IKE service if VPN functionality is not in use.
- Follow CISA BOD 22-01 and BOD 26-04 guidance.
Impact:
- Remote code execution with system privileges.
- Full system compromise and data breach.
- Network propagation to other vulnerable hosts.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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