Summary
free5GC's NEF 3gpp-pfd-management API is unauthenticated; forged bearer tokens can create, read, and delete PFD transactions
Impact
Missing inbound authentication (CWE-306) and authorization (CWE-862) on a critical SBI surface in NEF. Any party that can reach NEF on the SBI network can:
- Create attacker-controlled PFD transactions (which are written to UDR), poisoning policy state used downstream by SMF/UPF for traffic classification.
- Read existing PFD transactions, leaking AF-supplied policy data.
- Delete PFD transactions, denying service to legitimately provisioned application detection rules.
The PFD-management route group is also reachable even when the runtime ServiceList does not declare it, so operators relying on ServiceList to disable the service do not actually get that protection.
Affected: free5gc <=v4.2.1.
Upstream issue: https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/issues/858
Upstream fix: https://github.com/free5gc/nef/pull/23
The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.
CVE-2026-44315 has a CVSS score of 9.4 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. Ensure authorization checks are enforced consistently on all sensitive operations.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44315? CVE-2026-44315 is a critical-severity missing authorization vulnerability in github.com/free5gc/nef (go), affecting versions <= 1.2.3. No fixed version is listed yet. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
- How severe is CVE-2026-44315? CVE-2026-44315 has a CVSS score of 9.4 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of github.com/free5gc/nef are affected by CVE-2026-44315? github.com/free5gc/nef (go) versions <= 1.2.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44315? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2026-44315 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2026-44315 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44315 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-44315 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-44315? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. Ensure authorization checks are enforced consistently on all sensitive operations.