A reachable assertion in FlexRIC v2.0.0 triggers when the iApp message dispatcher receives an E2AP PDU whose type is not on the nine‑entry whitelist. The dispatcher uses assert() to validate the input; when the assertion fails the process aborts with SIGABRT. A remote unauthenticated attacker can thus send any decodable E2AP message to port 36422 to crash the iApp process, which shares the near‑RT RIC process. This crash terminates the entire RIC service and disconnects all connected E2 nodes and xApps, effectively denying the availability of the RIC.

The vulnerability affects FlexRIC v2.0.0 and the near‑RT RIC component that runs the iApp message dispatcher on port 36422. It is not tied to a standard vendor, but any installation of this version of FlexRIC is impacted.

The CVSS score is 7.5, indicating a high severity. The EPSS score is not available and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV. The attack requires only the ability to send a crafted decodable E2AP PDU to the vulnerable port; authentication is not required. The crash leads to a complete denial of service for all RIC functions. Because no confirmed exploits are documented, the likelihood of exploitation is uncertain, but the potential impact to any RIC infrastructure is high.