dbcve.org
DesktopApplication · Docker

CVE-2022-37326

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.6.0 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6.0 allows attackers to delete (or create) any file through the dockerBackendV2 windowscontainers/start API by controlling the pidfile field inside the DaemonJSON field in the WindowsContainerStartRequest class. This can indirectly lead to privilege escalation.

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 confidence

Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6.0 contains an improper input validation vulnerability in the dockerBackendV2 windowscontainers/start API. Attackers can manipulate the pidfile field within the DaemonJSON in WindowsContainerStartRequest to delete or create arbitrary files on the host system, leading to privilege escalation.

MitigationUpgrade Docker Desktop for Windows to version 4.6.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

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
DesktopApplication
Affected:< 4.6.0

CVSS 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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Docker Desktop for Windows is installed
    Check for Docker Desktop installation by looking for the Docker Desktop app in the system or checking the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker)
    Affected if Docker Desktop for Windows is not installed on the system
  2. Identify installed Docker Desktop version
    Open Docker Desktop and navigate to 'About Docker Desktop' from the Docker menu, or run 'docker --version' in command prompt to see the version
    Affected if The displayed version number is less than 4.6.0 (e.g., 4.5.0, 4.4.0, etc.)
  3. Verify Windows Containers feature is enabled
    Open PowerShell and run 'Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers' to check if the Windows Containers feature is enabled, or check Docker Desktop settings under 'Resources > Windows Containers'
    Affected if Windows Containers feature is enabled and Docker Desktop version is below 4.6.0
  4. Check dockerBackendV2 API accessibility
    The vulnerability exists in the dockerBackendV2 windowscontainers/start API endpoint - this is an internal API and would require code review or traffic inspection to verify direct accessibility
    Affected if Docker Desktop version is below 4.6.0 with Windows Containers enabled and the dockerBackendV2 API is exposed or accessible

A system is affected if Docker Desktop for Windows is installed with a version lower than 4.6.0 and the Windows Containers feature is enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.6.0 or later
Fixed in 4.6.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Docker Desktop for Windows to version 4.6.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Docker Desktop 4.6.0 or later

  1. Upgrade Docker Desktop for Windows to version 4.6.0 or later
  2. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the Docker Desktop version in the UI or running `docker version`
  3. Ensure the dockerd service is running properly after upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-37326 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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