---
title: "CVE-2026-44330: free5GC's NEF nnef-pfdmanagement API is unauthenticated; forged bearer tokens can read PFD data and create/delete PFD subscriptions"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-44330/
description: "CVE-2026-44330 (github.com/free5gc/nef (Go)): free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's NEF mounts the…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-05-27
date_modified: 2026-06-08
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-44330"
kev: false
cvss: 10
epss: 0.00428
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-44330: free5GC's NEF nnef-pfdmanagement API is unauthenticated; forged bearer tokens can read PFD data and create/delete PFD subscriptions

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.4% , percentile 36: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 36% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/free5gc/nef (Go) <= 1.2.3, no fixed version listed . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's NEF mounts the nnef-pfdmanagement route group without inbound OAuth2/bearer-token authorization. A network attacker who can reach NEF on the SBI can use a forged or arbitrary bearer token (e.g. Authorization: Bearer not-a-real-token) to read PFD application data via GET /applications and GET /applications/{appID}, and to create or delete PFD change-notification subscriptions via POST /subscriptions and DELETE /subscriptions/{subID}. Same root cause as the other NEF SBI findings: the route group is mounted without any inbound auth middleware. Unlike the OAM and traffic-influence groups, nnef-pfdmanagement IS declared in the runtime ServiceList, so this is the production-intended path that operators expect to be protected by OAuth2 setting receive from NRF: true -- and it is not. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/free5gc/nef` <= 1.2.3 → fixed: none listed

## Affected products (CVE record)

- free5gc free5gc: < 4.2.2

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 10 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 10.0 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.43% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 36.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-rwww-x45w-p52w](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rwww-x45w-p52w)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-44330](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44330)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-44330](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44330)
- [github.com](https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/security/advisories/GHSA-rwww-x45w-p52w)
- [github.com](https://github.com/free5gc/free5gc/issues/862)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-44330/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt