CVE-2026-55785 — free5GC AUSF uses non-constant-time authentication comparisons and logs XRES* in 5G-AKA
free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 1.4.5, the AUSF component performs cryptographic authentication comparisons in internal/sbi/processor/ue_authentication.go with ordinary equality helpers. Auth5gAkaComfirmRequestProcedure compares RES* and XRES* with strings.EqualFold and logs the expected XRES* value at INFO level before comparison. EapAuthComfirmRequestProcedure compares AT_MAC and XMAC with bytes.Equal and evaluates XRES == RES with ordinary string equality. These comparisons can return at mismatch-dependent times, although testing did not demonstrate a practical remote timing oracle because of HTTP/SBI timing noise. The INFO log exposes authentication material to operators, log collectors, sidecars, or processes able to read AUSF logs. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.5.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Free5gc Free5gc).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7 | CVSS 3.1 | Low | 2.2 | 1.4 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 3.7 | CVSS 3.1 | Low | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · free5gc/free5gc
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 3.7
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-47780 free5GC: UDR Improper ueId validation in free5GC EE subscription handlers allows arbitrary identifier persistence Sep 15, 2026
- High CVE-2026-55784 free5GC AUSF authentication contexts can be overwritten by concurrent requests for the same SUPI Aug 28, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-55068 free5GC: NRF nnrf-nfm lacks NF Profile input validation — enables NF Registration Poisoning with arbitrary service endpoints Aug 28, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-53551 free5GC AUSF: null byte injection in supiOrSuci causes HTTP 500 internal service failure Jul 31, 2026
- High CVE-2026-44328 free5GC: SMF UPI DELETE /upi/v1/upNodesLinks/{ref} panics on AN-node deletion via nil UPF dereference; unauthenticated, state-mutating May 27, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-44327 free5GC: NEF nnef-oam route group is unauthenticated; no-token requests reach the OAM handler May 27, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-55785 is "free5GC AUSF uses non-constant-time authentication comparisons and logs XRES* in 5G-AKA", rated Low. It affects Free5gc (Free5gc); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 3.7 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.45% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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