Ella Core is a private‑network 5G core that crashes when it receives an Authentication Response or Authentication Failure NAS message lacking required Information Elements. The crash occurs due to a null pointer dereference, which causes the authentication service to panic and terminate, leading to a full service outage for all connected subscribers. The vulnerability provides attackers a way to disrupt network availability, but does not affect confidentiality or integrity. The weakness is a classic null pointer dereference (CWE‑476).

This flaw impacts all Ella Networks Ella Core installations running any version older than 1.7.0. Those operators that rely on the affected core stack in their private 5G infrastructure are therefore exposed, as the vulnerable code resides in the core NAS message handling component.

The CVSS score of 6.5 indicates a moderate severity level. No authentication is required; an attacker only needs the ability to send crafted NAS messages to the core. Based on the description, the likely attack vector is from a network device that can reach the NAS interface, making the vulnerability feasible for nearby adversaries. The EPSS score is not available and the issue is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, suggesting no documented broad exploitation, yet the ease of triggering a crash and its global impact on subscribers keep the risk high for operators.