FlexRIC v2.0.0 contains a denial of service vulnerability where the near-RT RIC crashes when an SCTP association is closed before an E2_SETUP_REQUEST is sent. The application incorrectly assumes a mapping between SCTP association and E2 node always exists in the cleanup path and enforces this via assert(). A remote unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by completing an SCTP handshake on port 36421 and immediately disconnecting without sending any E2AP message, causing the near-RT RIC to crash. This vulnerability affects the 5G RAN Intelligent Controller component used in O-RAN networks.