Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-6406 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Docker |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-05-22 19:17:04 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-05-29 19:02:40 UTC |
| Description | The Docker CLI --use-api-socket flag bypasses Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) restrictions in Docker Desktop. When ECI is enabled, Docker socket mounts from containers are denied unless explicitly allowed via the admin-settings configuration. However, the --use-api-socket flag adds the Docker socket mount via the HostConfig.Mounts field rather than the HostConfig.Binds field. The ECI enforcement in the Docker Desktop API proxy only inspected Binds, allowing the mount to pass unchecked. This grants a container full access to the Docker Engine socket and, if the host user has logged in to container registries, their authentication credentials. A local attacker with the ability to run Docker CLI commands can exploit this to escape ECI restrictions, access the Docker Engine, and potentially escalate privileges. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 8.8 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
EPSS: 0.000210000 probability, percentile 0.063430000 (date 2026-06-01)
Problem Types: CWE-863 | CWE-863 CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | [email protected] | Secondary | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Apple | Macos | - | All | All | All |
| Application | Docker | Docker Desktop | All | All | All | All |
| Operating System | Linux | Linux Kernel | - | All | All | All |
| Operating System | Microsoft | Windows | - | All | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Docker | Docker Desktop | affected 4.41.0 4.59.0 semver | MacOS, Linux, Windows |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes | [email protected] | docs.docker.com | Release Notes |
| www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-299 | [email protected] | www.zerodayinitiative.com | Third Party Advisory |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Nitesh Surana (niteshsurana.com) of Trend Research (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Workarounds
CNA: Upgrade to Docker Desktop 4.59.0 or later. As a workaround, restrict which users can execute Docker CLI commands on the host.