DockerApplication
CVE-2019-13509
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn Docker CE and EE before 18.09.8 (as well as Docker EE before 17.06.2-ee-23 and 18.x before 18.03.1-ee-10), Docker Engine in debug mode may sometimes add secrets to the debug log. This applies to a scenario where docker stack deploy is run to redeploy a stack that includes (non external) secrets. It potentially applies to other API users of the stack API if they resend the secret.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceIn Docker CE and EE before versions 18.09.8 (and Docker EE before 17.06.2-ee-23 and 18.x before 18.03.1-ee-10), when Docker Engine runs in debug mode, secrets passed to `docker stack deploy` for non-external secrets may be written to the debug log. This results in secret exposure through log files, potentially affecting other API users who resend secrets.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
DockerApplication
>= 18.09.0, < 18.09.8= 17.03.2= 17.06.2= 18.03.1< 18.09.8CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Docker Engine versionRun `docker --version` or `docker version --format '{{.Server.Version}}'` to get the installed Docker versionAffected if Version is 18.09.0 through 18.09.7, 17.03.2, 17.06.2, or 18.03.1 (or any version < 18.09.8 for non-EE)
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Verify if Docker daemon runs in debug modeCheck the Docker daemon configuration file (typically /etc/docker/daemon.json) for `"debug": true` or inspect the daemon process args for `--debug` flagAffected if Debug mode is enabled in the daemon configuration or startup arguments
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Identify log files with potential secret exposureExamine Docker log files (typically /var/lib/docker/*.log, journalctl -u docker, or custom log paths configured in daemon.json) for patterns matching secret values or the docker stack deploy commandAffected if Log files contain secret values or sensitive strings that were passed to docker stack deploy for non-external secrets
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Audit recent stack deployment activityReview shell history or orchestration logs to determine if `docker stack deploy` was used with non-external secrets while debug mode was activeAffected if Stack deployments with inline secrets were performed during periods when Docker debug mode was enabled
You are affected if Docker Engine is version 18.09.0-18.09.7, 17.03.2, 17.06.2, or 18.03.1, debug mode is enabled, and docker stack deploy was used with non-external secrets.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data18.09.8
Upgrade Docker Engine to version 18.09.8 or later (or 17.06.2-ee-23+/18.03.1-ee-10+ for EE), and avoid running Docker in debug mode in production environments. Audit existing logs for accidentally logged secrets and rotate any exposed credentials.
Fix this in Docker
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-13509 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-13509 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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