vulnerability / NVI-00018367 / Revision 1
free5GC's NEF nnef-pfdmanagement API is unauthenticated; forged bearer tokens can read PFD data and create/delete PFD subscriptions
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for github.com/free5gc/nef. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
10 critical
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
github.com/free5gc/nef
source listed<= 1.2.3
### Summary 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. ### Details Validated against the NEF container in the official Docker compose lab. - Source repo tag: `v4.2.1` - Running Docker image: `free5gc/nef:v4.2.0` - Runtime NEF commit: `5ce35eab` - Docker validation date: 2026-03-11 NEF advertises `OAuth2 setting receive from NRF: true`, but the entire `nnef-pfdmanagement` route group is mounted with no inbound auth middle
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. GitHub Advisory Database
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
Check current vendor support and compatibility. After making a change, verify the deployed build and relevant runtime conditions. Keep the evidence, owner and time. An updated lockfile alone does not prove what is running.
04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
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- GHSA-rwww-x45w-p52w ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
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Public revision history
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- Revision 1 ·
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