Summary
free5GC's NEF nnef-pfdmanagement API is unauthenticated; forged bearer tokens can read PFD data and create/delete PFD subscriptions
Impact
Missing inbound authentication (CWE-306) and authorization (CWE-862) on the nnef-pfdmanagement SBI route group. This is the production-intended PFD service for NEF (declared in the runtime ServiceList), so operators expect it to be protected by NRF-issued OAuth2 -- and it is not. Any party that can reach NEF on the SBI can:
- Read AF-supplied PFD application data anonymously, leaking traffic-classification policy (URL regex patterns, application identifiers) used downstream by SMF/UPF.
- Create attacker-controlled PFD change-notification subscriptions pointing at attacker-chosen
notifyUriendpoints, turning NEF into an unauthenticated outbound HTTP request source on whatever applications the attacker subscribes to. - Delete legitimate PFD subscriptions, denying change notifications to legitimate consumers and breaking downstream PFD-update propagation.
The defect is route-group-scoped: there is no auth middleware on the group at all, so every read and subscription endpoint inside this group inherits the missing inbound auth boundary. Severity is scored against the route group's full capability surface.
Affected: free5gc v4.2.1.
Upstream issue: https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/issues/862
Upstream fix: https://github.com/free5gc/nef/pull/23
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2026-44330 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (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. Audit access-control checks to ensure they are applied consistently and cannot be bypassed.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44330? CVE-2026-44330 is a critical-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in github.com/free5gc/nef (go), affecting versions <= 1.2.3. No fixed version is listed yet. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2026-44330? CVE-2026-44330 has a CVSS score of 10.0 (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-2026-44330? github.com/free5gc/nef (go) versions <= 1.2.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44330? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2026-44330 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2026-44330 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44330 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-2026-44330 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-2026-44330? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Keep the dependency up to date. Audit access-control checks to ensure they are applied consistently and cannot be bypassed.