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TI-2026-32284 Aliases CVE-2026-44316GHSA-wr8j-6chw-gm6p

free5GC: PCF npcf-smpolicycontrol POST /sm-policies panics on downstream UDR/OpenAPI 404 via nil pointer dereference

Priority HIGH 72CWE-476Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-476.

Summary

free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's PCF POST /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies handler (HandleCreateSmPolicyRequest) panics with a nil-pointer dereference when a downstream OpenAPI consumer call (UDR lookup) returns 404 Not Found and the consumer wrapper returns err != nil together with a nil response struct. The handler logs the OpenAPI error and continues executing instead of returning, then dereferences the nil response struct on a subsequent line and panics. Gin recovery converts the panic into HTTP 500, so a single attacker-shaped POST returns 500 instead of a clean 4xx whenever the downstream lookup fails. The PCF process keeps running. The trigger is a single POST containing input that causes the downstream UDR lookup to fail (e.g. an unknown DNN). In 4.2.1 this endpoint is also reachable WITHOUT an Authorization header because the PCF Npcf_SMPolicyControl route group is mounted without inbound auth middleware. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00404 34th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 2 exploit referencesTagged by NVD
Fix Fixed free5gc (free5gc): 4.2.2github.com/free5gc/pcf (Go): 1.4.2

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
free5gcfree5gcbefore 4.2.24.2.2Patch availableCNA
—github.com/free5gc/pcf (Go)before 1.4.21.4.2Patch availableGHSA-wr8j-6chw-gm6p
  • free5gc Vendorfree5gc Affected before 4.2.2 Fixed in 4.2.2 Patch available CNA
  • github.com/free5gc/pcf (Go) Vendor— Affected before 1.4.2 Fixed in 1.4.2 Patch available GHSA-wr8j-6chw-gm6p

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:free5gc:free5gc:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 4.2.2Vulnerablefree5gc
  • cpe:2.3:a:free5gc:free5gc:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 4.2.2 Vulnerable ·free5gc

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA free5gc (free5gc) Fixed in 4.2.2
  • Fix · GHSA-wr8j-6chw-gm6p github.com/free5gc/pcf (Go) Fixed in 1.4.2 Advisory →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-44316
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-wr8j-6chw-gm6p
  3. 2026-10-13 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
  4. 2026-10-25 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile

References

Exploit 2

Patch 2

Advisory 1

Other 1

  • TI-2026-32298 Incorrect authorization in free5gc CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
  • TI-2026-32297 free5GC: SMF UPI management interface lacks auth middleware; unauthenticated topology read/write requests reach handlers CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
  • TI-2026-32295 free5GC: NEF nnef-oam route group is unauthenticated; no-token requests reach the OAM handler CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
  • TI-2025-39412 free5gc v4.1.0 and before is vulnerable to Buffer Overflow. CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-32294 Missing authorization in free5gc CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.4
  • TI-2026-32283 Missing authorization in free5gc CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.4
See all 58 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences