NULL pointer dereference in Free5gc

CVE-2026-44317

free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's PCF POST /npcf-policyauthorization/v1/app-sessions handler panics on a single authenticated request whose ascReqData.suppFeat == "1" (enabling traffic-routing feature negotiation) and whose medComponents entries supply an afAppId but NO AfRoutReq. The create path then calls provisioningOfTrafficRoutingInfo(smPolicy, appID, routeReq, ...) with routeReq == nil and dereferences routeReq.RouteToLocs (and other fields) without a nil check, causing runtime error: invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference. Gin recovery converts the panic into HTTP 500. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.006 (45.7th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 46th percentile — 45.7% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2026-44317: held from 0.004 to 0.006.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.004 · newest: 0.006 · change: +0.002

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-44317?
CVE-2026-44317 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Free5gc, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 6.5/10. Published 2026-05-27.
How severe is CVE-2026-44317?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.5 out of 10.