RegistryApplication · Docker
CVE-2020-29591
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 · uneditedVersions of the Official registry Docker images through 2.7.0 contain a blank password for the root user. Systems deployed using affected versions of the registry container may allow a remote attacker to achieve root access with a blank password.
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 confidenceThe Official Docker Registry images through version 2.7.0 contain a default blank password for the root user, allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to gain root-level access to the registry container via the Docker API or exposed registry ports.
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
RegistryApplication
= 2.5= 2.5.0= 2.5.1= 2.6.0= 2.6.1= 2.7.0CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Identify the running Docker Registry image versionRun 'docker images' or 'docker ps' and check the image tag for the registry (e.g., registry:2.5, registry:2.7.0)Affected if The image version is 2.5, 2.5.0, 2.5.1, 2.6.0, 2.6.1, or 2.7.0
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Confirm the registry is network-accessibleCheck if Docker Registry ports (typically 5000) are exposed via 'docker ps -p' or if the container is bound to 0.0.0.0Affected if The registry container port is mapped to a host port or bound to a reachable network interface
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Examine the registry authentication configurationInspect the container for a mounted htpasswd file: 'docker exec <container> ls -la /auth' or check if REGISTRY_AUTH environment variable is setAffected if No htpasswd file exists or authentication is not configured, meaning default authentication may be in use
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Verify the root account password statusIf htpasswd exists, inspect its contents: 'docker exec <container> cat /auth/htpasswd' and check for root user entryAffected if The root user has no password set or uses a default blank password (empty string in htpasswd)
You are affected if you are running Docker Registry version 2.5 through 2.7.0 with the container network-accessible and no strong password configured for the root user in your authentication setup.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade the Docker registry image to a version newer than 2.7.0 and ensure the root password is properly configured with strong authentication.
registry:2.8.0 (or any version after 2.7.0)
- 1. Stop the currently running Docker registry container using 'docker stop <container_name>'
- 2. Pull the fixed registry image version (2.7.1 or later, such as 2.8.0) using 'docker pull registry:2.8.0'
- 3. Review and update registry configuration to ensure proper authentication is configured (set a strong password for the root user)
- 4. Start the registry container with the new image: 'docker run -d -p 5000:5000 --name registry -v <config> registry:2.8.0'
- 5. Verify the registry is running and accessible with 'docker ps' and test authentication
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Registry
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-29591 — 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-2020-29591 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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