CVE-2026-42083: free5GC: PCF Npcf_SMPolicyControl missing authentication middleware allows unauthenticated access to SM policy handlers and disclosure of subscriber SUPI

Severity: high (CVSS 8.2 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: yes
Published: 2026-05-27 · updated 2026-10-14
Weakness: CWE-862

Description

free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, PCF Npcf_SMPolicyControl missing authentication middleware allows unauthenticated access to SM policy handlers and disclosure of subscriber SUPI. In NewServer(), the smPolicyGroup route group is created and routes are applied without attaching the router authorization middleware. In contrast, other PCF service groups such as Npcf_PolicyAuthorization do attach RouterAuthorizationCheck before route registration. Because the middleware is missing, requests to the /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies, /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies/{smPolicyId}, /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies/{smPolicyId}/update, and /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies/{smPolicyId}/delete endpoints can reach business logic even when no valid OAuth token is provided. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.

Affected products

free5gc: before 4.2.2 — fixed in 4.2.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: free5gc 4.2.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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