free5GC UDM incorrectly returns 500 for empty supi path parameter in DELETE sdm-subscriptions request

Description

Impact
This is an Improper Error Handling vulnerability with Information Exposure implications.
- Security Impact: The UDM incorrectly converts a downstream 400 Bad Request (from UDR) into a 500 Internal Server Error when handling DELETE requests with an empty supi path parameter. This leaks internal error handling behavior and makes it difficult for clients to distinguish between client-side errors and server-side failures.
- Functional Impact: When a client sends a DELETE request with an empty supi (e.g., double slashes // in URL path), the UDM forwards the malformed request to UDR, which correctly returns 400. However, UDM propagates this as 500 SYSTEM_FAILURE instead of returning the appropriate 400 error to the client. This violates REST API best practices for DELETE operations.
- Affected Parties: All deployments of free5GC v4.0.1 using the UDM Nudm_SDM service with DELETE operations on sdm-subscriptions endpoint.

Patches
Yes, the issue has been patched.
The fix is implemented in PR free5gc/udm#79.
Users should upgrade to the next release of free5GC that includes this commit.

Workarounds
There is no direct workaround at the application level. The recommendation is to apply the provided patch or implement API gateway-level validation to reject DELETE requests with empty path parameters before they reach UDM.

Basic information

Type
reviewed
Severity
medium
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Open repository advisory ↗
Source code
Browse source ↗
Published (advisory)
2026-03-18 20:07:17 UTC
Updated
2026-03-20 21:24:13 UTC
GitHub reviewed
2026-03-18 20:07:17 UTC
NVD published
2026-03-20

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.03% 9.14%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
6.9 4.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and stable.
Attack requirements (AT:N)
No additional preconditions are required beyond normal reachability.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No privileges are required.
User interaction (UI:N)
No user interaction is required.
Vulnerable system confidentiality impact (VC:L)
Limited confidentiality impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system integrity impact (VI:N)
No integrity impact on the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system availability impact (VA:N)
No availability impact on the vulnerable system.
Subsequent system confidentiality impact (SC:N)
No confidentiality impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system integrity impact (SI:N)
No integrity impact on subsequent systems.
Subsequent system availability impact (SA:N)
No availability impact on subsequent systems.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-209 Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information

Affected packages (1)

Vulnerable version ranges and first patched releases as published by GitHub.

Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range First patched Vulnerable functions
go github.com/free5gc/udm < 1.4.2 1.4.2

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence