CVE-2023-37023
Open5Gs ≤ 2.6.4
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-37023 is a high-severity Reachable Assertion (CWE-617) vulnerability in Open5Gs Open5Gs. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 45% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2023-37023 is a reachable assertion vulnerability (CWE-617) affecting Open5GS Mobility Management Entity (MME) versions up to and including 2.6.4. The issue resides in the Uplink NAS Transport packet handler, where a packet missing its MME_UE_S1AP_ID field triggers an assertion failure, causing the Open5GS MME to crash. This flaw was published on 2025-01-22 and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.6 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H), indicating high severity due to its potential for significant availability disruption.
Any unauthenticated attacker with network access to the affected Open5GS MME can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted Uplink NAS Transport packets lacking the required MME_UE_S1AP_ID field. A single such packet crashes the service, and repeated transmissions enable a denial-of-service condition, rendering the MME unavailable. The attack requires low complexity, no user interaction, and exploits a scope change to amplify impact across the system.
Mitigation details and patches are outlined in the advisory available at https://cellularsecurity.org/ransacked. Security practitioners should consult this reference for upgrade guidance to versions beyond 2.6.4 and any interim workarounds.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-40943
Vulnerability Data
Open5GS MME versions <= 2.6.4 contain a reachable assertion in the `Uplink NAS Transport` packet handler. A packet missing its `MME_UE_S1AP_ID` field causes Open5gs to crash; an attacker may repeatedly send such packets to cause denial of service.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation finds reachable assertions during development.
Security engineering principles discourage use of assertions for handling untrusted input.
Validating untrusted inputs structurally prevents attacker data from reaching and triggering assertions.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Runtime monitoring of software can detect assertion-triggered crashes as adverse events.
Vulnerability identification processes can discover and record reachable-assertion flaws before deployment.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent unsafe assertions from being coded in reachable paths.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.