diff --git a/changelog/fragments/1764710604-memcache-udp-fragment-check.yaml b/changelog/fragments/1764710604-memcache-udp-fragment-check.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dbbc6526ac6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/fragments/1764710604-memcache-udp-fragment-check.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+kind: bug-fix
+summary: verify and cap memcache udp fragment counts
+component: packetbeat
+PR URL: https://github.com/elastic/beats/pull/47874
diff --git a/packetbeat/packetbeat_memcache_udp.yml b/packetbeat/packetbeat_memcache_udp.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5f87ed37cb62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packetbeat/packetbeat_memcache_udp.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+packetbeat.interfaces:
+  device: lo
+
+packetbeat.protocols:
+  - type: memcache
+    ports: [11211]
+    udp_only: true
+
+queue.mem:
+  events: 64
+  flush.min_events: 1
+
+output.console:
+  enabled: true
+  pretty: true
+
+logging:
+  level: debug
+  selectors: [memcache]
+  to_files: false
+
+setup.template.enabled: false
+setup.kibana:
+  host: 0.0.0.0:0
diff --git a/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp.go b/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp.go
index 0f2933700369..e5d696bfc94e 100644
--- a/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp.go
+++ b/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp.go
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ type udpMessage struct {
 	datagrams    [][]byte
 }
 
+const maxUDPMemcacheFragments = 64
+
 func (mc *memcache) ParseUDP(pkt *protos.Packet) {
 	buffer := streambuf.NewFixed(pkt.Payload)
 	header, err := parseUDPHeader(buffer)
@@ -114,6 +116,11 @@ func (mc *memcache) ParseUDP(pkt *protos.Packet) {
 
 	// get UDP transaction stream combining datagram packets in transaction
 	udpMsg := trans.udpMessageForDir(&header, dir)
+	if udpMsg == nil {
+		logp.Warn("dropping memcache(UDP) transaction with invalid fragment metadata")
+		connection.killTransaction(trans)
+		return
+	}
 	if udpMsg.numDatagrams != header.numDatagrams {
 		logp.Warn("number of datagram mismatches in stream")
 		connection.killTransaction(trans)
@@ -143,7 +150,9 @@ func (mc *memcache) ParseUDP(pkt *protos.Packet) {
 	if !done {
 		trans.timer = time.AfterFunc(mc.udpConfig.transTimeout, func() {
 			debug("transaction timeout -> forward")
-			mc.onUDPTrans(trans)
+			if err := mc.onUDPTrans(trans); err != nil {
+				logp.Warn("error processing timeout memcache transaction: %s", err)
+			}
 			mc.udpExpTrans.push(trans)
 		})
 	}
@@ -283,18 +292,22 @@ func (t *udpTransaction) udpMessageForDir(
 	udpMsg := t.messages[dir]
 	if udpMsg == nil {
 		udpMsg = newUDPMessage(header)
+		if udpMsg == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
 		t.messages[dir] = udpMsg
 	}
 	return udpMsg
 }
 
 func newUDPMessage(header *mcUDPHeader) *udpMessage {
-	udpMsg := &udpMessage{
-		numDatagrams: header.numDatagrams,
-		count:        0,
+	count := header.numDatagrams
+	if count == 0 || count > maxUDPMemcacheFragments {
+		return nil
 	}
-	if header.numDatagrams > 1 {
-		udpMsg.datagrams = make([][]byte, header.numDatagrams)
+	udpMsg := &udpMessage{numDatagrams: count}
+	if count > 1 {
+		udpMsg.datagrams = make([][]byte, count)
 	}
 	return udpMsg
 }
@@ -313,10 +326,14 @@ func (msg *udpMessage) addDatagram(
 	}
 
 	if msg.count < msg.numDatagrams {
-		if msg.datagrams[header.seqNumber] != nil {
+		idx := int(header.seqNumber)
+		if idx >= len(msg.datagrams) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if msg.datagrams[idx] != nil {
 			return nil
 		}
-		msg.datagrams[header.seqNumber] = data
+		msg.datagrams[idx] = data
 		msg.count++
 	}
 
@@ -326,7 +343,9 @@ func (msg *udpMessage) addDatagram(
 
 	buffer := streambuf.New(nil)
 	for _, payload := range msg.datagrams {
-		buffer.Append(payload)
+		if err := buffer.Append(payload); err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 	msg.isComplete = true
 	msg.datagrams = nil
@@ -339,7 +358,9 @@ func parseUDPHeader(buf *streambuf.Buffer) (mcUDPHeader, error) {
 	h.requestID, _ = buf.ReadNetUint16()
 	h.seqNumber, _ = buf.ReadNetUint16()
 	h.numDatagrams, _ = buf.ReadNetUint16()
-	buf.Advance(2) // ignore reserved
+	if err := buf.Advance(2); err != nil { // ignore reserved
+		return h, err
+	}
 	return h, buf.Err()
 }
 
diff --git a/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp_test.go b/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp_test.go
index b80ef1e59cec..1c1e96ee6058 100644
--- a/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp_test.go
+++ b/packetbeat/protos/memcache/plugin_udp_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/common/streambuf"
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/packetbeat/protos/applayer"
 )
 
 func Test_UdpDatagramAddOnCompleteMessage(t *testing.T) {
@@ -96,3 +99,115 @@ func Test_UdpDatagramMultipleDups(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 8, buf.Len())
 	assert.Equal(t, []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}, buf.Bytes())
 }
+
+func Test_NewUDPMessageZeroDatagrams(t *testing.T) {
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: 0}
+	msg := newUDPMessage(hdr)
+	assert.Nil(t, msg)
+}
+
+func Test_NewUDPMessageExceedsMaxFragments(t *testing.T) {
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: maxUDPMemcacheFragments + 1}
+	msg := newUDPMessage(hdr)
+	assert.Nil(t, msg)
+}
+
+func Test_NewUDPMessageAtMaxFragments(t *testing.T) {
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: maxUDPMemcacheFragments}
+	msg := newUDPMessage(hdr)
+	assert.NotNil(t, msg)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(maxUDPMemcacheFragments), msg.numDatagrams)
+}
+
+func Test_AddDatagramOutOfBounds(t *testing.T) {
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: 2}
+	msg := newUDPMessage(hdr)
+	assert.NotNil(t, msg)
+
+	// Add first datagram
+	buf := msg.addDatagram(hdr, []byte{1, 2})
+	assert.Nil(t, buf)
+
+	// Try to add datagram with seqNumber out of bounds
+	hdr.seqNumber = 2 // Only 0 and 1 are valid for numDatagrams=2
+	buf = msg.addDatagram(hdr, []byte{3, 4})
+	assert.Nil(t, buf)
+}
+
+func Test_UdpMessageForDirReturnsNilWhenNewUDPMessageFails(t *testing.T) {
+	trans := &udpTransaction{
+		messages: [2]*udpMessage{},
+	}
+
+	// Test with zero datagrams (should cause newUDPMessage to return nil)
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: 0}
+	udpMsg := trans.udpMessageForDir(hdr, applayer.NetOriginalDirection)
+	assert.Nil(t, udpMsg)
+
+	// Test with too many datagrams (should cause newUDPMessage to return nil)
+	hdr.numDatagrams = maxUDPMemcacheFragments + 1
+	udpMsg = trans.udpMessageForDir(hdr, applayer.NetOriginalDirection)
+	assert.Nil(t, udpMsg)
+}
+
+func Test_AddDatagramAppendErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test that addDatagram correctly handles buffer.Append errors
+	// This test verifies the error handling path in addDatagram where
+	// buffer.Append is called. In normal operation, Append should succeed,
+	// but we verify the code path exists and handles errors correctly.
+	hdr := &mcUDPHeader{requestID: 10, seqNumber: 0, numDatagrams: 3}
+	msg := newUDPMessage(hdr)
+	assert.NotNil(t, msg)
+
+	// Add all datagrams in order - this exercises the buffer.Append path
+	buf := msg.addDatagram(hdr, []byte{1, 2})
+	assert.Nil(t, buf) // Not complete yet
+
+	hdr.seqNumber = 1
+	buf = msg.addDatagram(hdr, []byte{3, 4})
+	assert.Nil(t, buf) // Not complete yet
+
+	hdr.seqNumber = 2
+	buf = msg.addDatagram(hdr, []byte{5, 6})
+	assert.NotNil(t, buf) // Should be complete now
+
+	// Verify the buffer was correctly assembled
+	assert.Equal(t, 6, buf.Len())
+	assert.Equal(t, []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, buf.Bytes())
+}
+
+func Test_ParseUDPHeader(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test successful parsing of UDP header
+	// UDP header format: requestID (2 bytes) + seqNumber (2 bytes) + numDatagrams (2 bytes) + reserved (2 bytes)
+	headerData := []byte{
+		0x12, 0x34, // requestID = 0x1234
+		0x56, 0x78, // seqNumber = 0x5678
+		0x9A, 0xBC, // numDatagrams = 0x9ABC
+		0x00, 0x00, // reserved
+	}
+	buf := streambuf.NewFixed(headerData)
+	hdr, err := parseUDPHeader(buf)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x1234), hdr.requestID)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x5678), hdr.seqNumber)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x9ABC), hdr.numDatagrams)
+}
+
+func Test_ParseUDPHeaderInsufficientData(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test error handling when buffer is too short for Advance(2)
+	// Header needs 8 bytes total: 6 bytes for the three uint16s + 2 bytes for reserved
+	// This test uses only 6 bytes, so Advance(2) will fail
+	headerData := []byte{
+		0x12, 0x34, // requestID = 0x1234
+		0x56, 0x78, // seqNumber = 0x5678
+		0x9A, 0xBC, // numDatagrams = 0x9ABC
+		// Missing reserved 2 bytes - this will cause Advance(2) to fail
+	}
+	buf := streambuf.NewFixed(headerData)
+	hdr, err := parseUDPHeader(buf)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	// Header values should still be set from the reads before Advance failed
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x1234), hdr.requestID)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x5678), hdr.seqNumber)
+	assert.Equal(t, uint16(0x9ABC), hdr.numDatagrams)
+}