DocsApplication · Docker
CVE-2020-35467
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 · uneditedThe Docker Docs Docker image through 2020-12-14 contains a blank password for the root user. Systems deployed using affected versions of the Docker Docs 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 Docker Docs container image through 2020-12-14 was shipped with the root user configured without a password (blank password). An attacker with network access to the container can authenticate as root using an empty password and gain full control of the container with root privileges.
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
DocsApplication
<= 2020-12-14CVSS 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 if Docker Docs container is runningRun 'docker ps -a | grep -i docker' to list all containers with docker in the nameAffected if A container named 'dockerdocs', 'docker-docs', or similar is present
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Check the Docker Docs image version or creation dateRun 'docker images' and check the TAG and CREATED columns, or use 'docker inspect <container_id> --format="{{.Created}}"'Affected if The image was created on or before 2020-12-14
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Verify the container is running as root userRun 'docker inspect <container_id> --format="{{.Config.User}}"'Affected if The User field is empty or shows 'root' (running as root)
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Check if root authentication allows empty passwordAccess the container shell with 'docker exec -it <container_id> /bin/sh' and check /etc/shadow for root entry, or examine /etc/passwd and related auth configurationAffected if The root user account has no password set (empty field in /etc/shadow)
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Assess network exposure of the containerRun 'docker inspect <container_id> --format="{{.NetworkSettings.Ports}}"' and check if ports are exposed to networkAffected if Container ports are mapped to host network interfaces (0.0.0.0)
A user is affected if they are running a Docker Docs container created on or before 2020-12-14, running as root, with no password set on the root account, and with network access exposed.
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 · scopedUpdate to a patched version of the Docker Docs image released after 2020-12-14 that includes a proper root password or disables root login. If using affected versions, regenerate credentials and rotate any secrets that may have been exposed.
docker/docker-docs:latest (or a specific version released after December 2020)
- 1. Identify all running containers using affected Docker Docs image versions (<= 2020-12-14) using 'docker ps -a'
- 2. Stop and remove any currently running affected containers: 'docker stop <container_id>' and 'docker rm <container_id>'
- 3. Pull the latest Docker Docs image from the official repository: 'docker pull docker/docker-docs'
- 4. Verify the pulled image is dated after 2020-12-14 by checking image labels or history: 'docker inspect docker/docker-docs'
- 5. Deploy the updated image with appropriate root password configuration or ensure SSH/key-based authentication is enabled
- 6. If using docker-compose, update the image tag to use latest or a specific version after 2020-12-14
- 7. Verify the container is running correctly and documentation site is accessible
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Docs
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-35467 — 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-2020-35467 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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