dbcve.org
Docker DesktopApplication · Docker

CVE-2023-0625

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.12.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 before 4.12.0 is vulnerable to RCE via a crafted extension description or changelog. This issue affects Docker Desktop: before 4.12.0.

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 · moderate confidence

Docker Desktop before version 4.12.0 contains a vulnerability that allows Remote Code Execution through crafted extension descriptions or changelogs. The vulnerability suggests insufficient input validation when processing extension metadata, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that executes on the host system.

MitigationUpdate Docker Desktop to version 4.12.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also audit installed extensions for any suspicious or unknown extensions.

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
Affected:< 4.12.0

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check Docker Desktop installed version
    Open Docker Desktop and navigate to 'About Docker Desktop' from the Docker menu (the whale icon), or run `docker --version` in a terminal to see the CLI version. For the full Desktop version, check the GUI: Docker Dashboard > Settings > About Docker Desktop.
    Affected if The version displayed is any version before 4.12.0 (for example, 4.11.0, 4.10.0, etc.)
  2. Verify if Docker Extensions are enabled
    Open Docker Desktop and go to the Extensions tab in the left sidebar, or navigate to Settings > Extensions. Check whether any extensions are listed as installed.
    Affected if Docker Extensions are enabled and at least one extension is installed, making the extension metadata processing code reachable.
  3. Inspect installed extension metadata
    Navigate to the Extensions tab in Docker Desktop. For each installed extension, click on it to view its description, changelog, and publisher information. Look for unusually long text, encoded content, or suspicious URLs in these fields.
    Affected if Any installed extension contains suspicious or unknown description/changelog content, or originates from an untrusted or unrecognized publisher.
  4. Review extension installation sources
    In Docker Desktop, go to the Extensions marketplace (Extensions tab > Marketplace). Note any extensions installed from sources outside the official Docker Marketplace, or any newly added extensions that were not explicitly installed by your team.
    Affected if Unknown, unused, or recently added extensions are present in the environment without explicit authorization.

You are affected if Docker Desktop version is below 4.12.0 AND Docker Extensions are enabled with any extensions installed.

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 4.12.0 or later
Fixed in 4.12.0
Interim mitigation

Update Docker Desktop to version 4.12.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should also audit installed extensions for any suspicious or unknown extensions.

Recommended fix High confidence

Docker Desktop 4.12.0

  1. Check current Docker Desktop version by clicking the Docker icon and selecting 'About Docker Desktop'
  2. Navigate to https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/ and download Docker Desktop version 4.12.0 or later for your operating system
  3. Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
  4. Restart Docker Desktop after the installation completes
  5. Verify the upgrade by clicking the Docker icon and selecting 'About Docker Desktop' to confirm version 4.12.0 or later is installed

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
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-0625 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