CVE-2026-44329
Received Received - Intake
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-05-27

Last updated on: 2026-05-27

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's SMF mounts the UPI management route group without OAuth2/bearer-token authorization middleware. A network attacker who can reach SMF on the SBI can hit UPI endpoints with no Authorization header at all, and the requests reach the SMF business handlers. In the running Docker lab this was directly demonstrated for read (GET /upi/v1/upNodesLinks), write (POST /upi/v1/upNodesLinks with attacker-controlled UP-node and link payload), and delete (DELETE /upi/v1/upNodesLinks/{nodeID}) operations. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-27
Last Modified
2026-05-27
Generated
2026-05-28
AI Q&A
2026-05-27
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
free5gc free5gc to 4.2.2 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-862 The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
CWE-306 The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability exists in free5GC, an open-source implementation of the 5G core network, specifically in versions prior to 4.2.2. The Session Management Function (SMF) mounts the UPI management route group without requiring OAuth2 or bearer-token authorization middleware. As a result, a network attacker who can access the SMF on the Service-Based Interface (SBI) can send requests to UPI endpoints without any Authorization header. These unauthorized requests are processed by the SMF business handlers, allowing the attacker to perform read, write, and delete operations on UPI nodes and links.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can have severe impacts because it allows an attacker to fully control certain management operations on the 5G core network's UPI endpoints without any authentication. The attacker can read sensitive information, modify data by injecting attacker-controlled payloads, and delete nodes or links. Given the CVSS score of 10.0 with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, this can lead to significant disruption of network services, data breaches, and potential denial of service.


How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

This vulnerability can be detected by attempting to access the UPI management route group endpoints on the SMF without providing an Authorization header and observing if the requests are accepted.

For example, you can use curl commands to test the endpoints:

  • GET request to check read access: curl -v http://<SMF_IP>:<PORT>/upi/v1/upNodesLinks
  • POST request to check write access: curl -v -X POST http://<SMF_IP>:<PORT>/upi/v1/upNodesLinks -d '<attacker-controlled payload>' -H 'Content-Type: application/json'
  • DELETE request to check delete access: curl -v -X DELETE http://<SMF_IP>:<PORT>/upi/v1/upNodesLinks/<nodeID>

If these requests succeed without an Authorization header, the system is vulnerable.


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

The immediate step to mitigate this vulnerability is to upgrade free5GC to version 4.2.2 or later, where the issue is fixed.

Until the upgrade can be performed, restrict network access to the SMF's SBI interface to trusted sources only to prevent unauthorized access.

Additionally, monitor and block any unauthorized requests to the UPI management route group endpoints.


How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:

The vulnerability in free5GC's SMF UPI management interface allows unauthenticated attackers to perform unauthorized read, write, and delete operations on network topology data without proper authorization. This lack of authentication and authorization controls can lead to unauthorized access and manipulation of sensitive network information.

Such unauthorized access and potential data manipulation can negatively impact compliance with common standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict access controls, data integrity, and protection of sensitive information. The vulnerability's critical CVSS score (10.0) reflects high impacts on integrity and availability, which are key aspects in regulatory compliance.

By allowing attackers to bypass authentication, the vulnerability undermines the security controls necessary to meet regulatory requirements for protecting data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.


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