Free5GC PCF Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Free5GC PCF (Policy Control Function) versions prior to 1.4.3 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2026-42083) in the Npcf_SMPolicyControl service. The vulnerability stems from the absence of router authorization middleware for the smPolicyGroup route, allowing unauthenticated requests to reach sensitive SM policy handlers. An attacker able to reach the PCF SBI interface can directly invoke these handlers, potentially gaining access to subscriber identifiers including SUPI (Subscriber Permanent Identifier) and other policy context data. This issue was resolved in free5gc/pcf PR #63 by adding RouterAuthorizationCheck to smPolicyGroup.

Attack Chain

1. An attacker identifies a vulnerable Free5GC PCF instance running a version prior to 1.4.3.
2. The attacker gains network access to the PCF SBI (Service Based Interface).
3. The attacker sends an unauthenticated HTTP POST request to /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies to create a new SM policy.
4. The PCF, lacking proper authentication, processes the request without verifying the attacker’s identity.
5. The attacker sends an unauthenticated HTTP GET request to /npcf-smpolicycontrol/v1/sm-policies/{smPolicyId} to retrieve the newly created policy.
6. The PCF returns the policy context, which may contain sensitive subscriber identifiers such as supi.
7. The attacker exploits this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to subscriber information and manipulate SM policies.

Impact

This authentication bypass vulnerability allows unauthorized access to subscriber data and policy control functions within the 5G core network. If exploited, an attacker could potentially gain access to sensitive subscriber information, disrupt network services, or manipulate policy settings. Successful exploitation allows unauthorized actors to invoke Npcf_SMPolicyControl handlers directly.

Recommendation

• Upgrade Free5GC PCF to version 1.4.3 or later to patch CVE-2026-42083.
• Deploy the Sigma rule Detect Unauthenticated PCF SM Policy Access to identify unauthenticated requests to the vulnerable endpoints.
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the PCF SBI interface.