CVE-2026-44320

free5GC: NEF nnef-callback route group is unauthenticated; forged callback requests are accepted into the processing path

HIGH
7.3
CVSS Score
Published: May 27, 2026 at 03:48 PM UTC
Updated: October 14, 2026 at 08:10 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorFREE5GC

Using free5gc by free5gc?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect free5gc - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.3
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's NEF mounts the nnef-callback route group without inbound OAuth2/bearer-token authorization. A forged or arbitrary bearer token (e.g. Authorization: Bearer not-a-real-token) is enough to reach the SMF-callback handler -- the callback body is parsed and dispatched into NEF business logic instead of being rejected at the auth boundary. Same root cause as the other NEF SBI findings: the route group is mounted without any inbound auth middleware. NEF does not authenticate the producer NF identity before processing callback content; if an attacker can guess or obtain a valid NotifId, this missing auth boundary lets forged callbacks act on real subscription state. The route group is also reachable even when the runtime ServiceList does not declare it (it lists only nnef-pfdmanagement and nnef-oam). This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 4.2.2
Affected range stops below 4.2.2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

References (3)

x_refsource_CONFIRMExploitVendor Advisory
Source: cverecord
https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/security/advisories/GHSA-wqfh-gq79-j8mf
x_refsource_MISCExploitIssue Tracking
Source: cverecord
https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/issues/860
x_refsource_MISCIssue TrackingPatch
Source: cverecord
https://github.com/free5gc/nef/pull/24

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitAutomatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.3HIGHGitHub_M
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
LOW
Integrity
LOW
Availability
LOW
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-306CWE-862

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card