Docker DesktopApplication · Docker
CVE-2022-26659
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 · uneditedDocker Desktop installer on Windows in versions before 4.6.0 allows an attacker to overwrite any administrator writable files by creating a symlink in place of where the installer writes its log file. Starting from version 4.6.0, the Docker Desktop installer, when run elevated, will write its log files to a location not writable by non-administrator users.
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 confidenceDocker Desktop installer for Windows versions before 4.6.0 has a symlink attack vulnerability that allows an attacker with local access to overwrite administrator-writable files. The attacker pre-creates a symlink at the log file location, and when the installer runs elevated, it follows the symlink to write to an arbitrary location. Version 4.6.0 mitigates this by writing logs to a non-writable location for non-administrators.
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
Docker DesktopApplication
< 4.6.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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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Check if Docker Desktop for Windows is installedLook for Docker Desktop installation on the Windows system, typically in Program Files or via the Docker Desktop appAffected if Docker Desktop for Windows is installed on the system
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Determine installed Docker Desktop versionOpen Docker Desktop and navigate to the About section, or run 'docker --version' command in PowerShell/command promptAffected if The installed version is lower than 4.6.0 (e.g., 4.5.0, 4.4.0, etc.)
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Verify if the system allows non-administrator access to log file locationsCheck if the log directory used by the Docker Desktop installer is writable by non-administrator users - this would indicate the vulnerability is present if version is below 4.6.0Affected if Non-administrator users can write to the installer log directory and the Docker Desktop version is below 4.6.0
A system is affected if Docker Desktop for Windows is installed with a version lower than 4.6.0 and the log file location is writable by non-administrator users.
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 · scoped4.6.0
Upgrade Docker Desktop for Windows to version 4.6.0 or later, which writes elevated installer logs to a protected location not writable by non-administrator users.
Docker Desktop 4.6.0 or later
- 1. Check the current Docker Desktop version by clicking the Docker Desktop icon and selecting 'About Docker Desktop'
- 2. Download Docker Desktop version 4.6.0 or later from the official Docker website
- 3. Uninstall the current Docker Desktop version
- 4. Install the downloaded Docker Desktop 4.6.0 or later version
- 5. Restart your computer if prompted
- 6. Verify the installation by checking the version in 'About Docker Desktop'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Docker Desktop
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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 $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26659 — 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-2022-26659 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data