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ContainerdApplication · Linuxfoundation

CVE-2026-46680

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.7.32 / 2.0.9 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges 8 weeks old

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
containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username, leading to runAsNonRoot evasion. If a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd file mapping this large numeric string to root, the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This allows the Kubernetes runAsNonRoot restriction to be bypassed, causing unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1.

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

In containerd versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username instead of a UID. When a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd entry mapping this large numeric string to root (UID 0), the container runs as root, bypassing Kubernetes runAsNonRoot enforcement.

MitigationUpgrade containerd to version 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4, or 2.3.1 or later. Additionally, audit existing container images for malicious /etc/passwd entries that could map large numeric strings to root.

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
ContainerdApplication
Affected:>= 1.7.27, < 1.7.32>= 2.0.4, < 2.0.9>= 2.1.0, < 2.2.4>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.1

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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. Identify containerd version
    Run `containerd --version` or check the containerd binary version in your nodes
    Affected if containerd version falls within any of these ranges: 1.7.27 to 1.7.31, 2.0.4 to 2.0.8, 2.1.0 to 2.2.3, or 2.3.0
  2. Audit container images for large numeric /etc/passwd entries
    Pull and inspect /etc/passwd in container images, looking for entries where the UID field (third field) contains a very large numeric string that exceeds 2^31-1 (2147483647)
    Affected if Any image contains a /etc/passwd entry mapping a large numeric string (larger than 2^31-1) to root (UID 0 in the entry)
  3. Review container User directives
    Inspect container runtime configuration or Kubernetes pod specs for User fields set to large numeric strings that cannot be parsed as 32-bit integers
    Affected if Any container is configured with a User directive containing a numeric string larger than 2147483647

You are affected if your containerd version is in the affected range AND you run containers from images that contain crafted /etc/passwd entries with large numeric UIDs mapped to root, where the container User directive is also a large numeric string.

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 1.7.32 / 2.0.9 / 2.2.4 or later
Fixed in 1.7.322.0.92.2.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade containerd to version 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4, or 2.3.1 or later. Additionally, audit existing container images for malicious /etc/passwd entries that could map large numeric strings to root.

Recommended fix High confidence

containerd 1.7.32 / 2.0.9 / 2.2.4 / 2.3.1 (depending on your current release line)

  1. Identify the currently installed containerd version using `containerd --version` or `ctr version`
  2. Determine which release line you are on (1.7.x, 2.0.x, 2.1.x, or 2.3.x)
  3. For 1.7.x line: upgrade to containerd version 1.7.32 or later
  4. For 2.0.x line: upgrade to containerd version 2.0.9 or later
  5. For 2.1.x line: upgrade to containerd version 2.2.4 or later
  6. For 2.3.x line: upgrade to containerd version 2.3.1 or later
  7. After upgrade, restart containerd service: `systemctl restart containerd`
  8. Verify the new version is running: `containerd --version`
Caveat Upgrade within same major version should be low-risk; however, test in staging before production deployment as minor version upgrades may include other changes

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

Fix this in Containerd Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2026-46680 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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