CVE-2026-50195
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 · uneditedcontainerd is an open-source container runtime. Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9 contain a vulnerability in the CRI checkpoint import process where it fails to validate the image references specified within a checkpoint image's configuration. An attacker with permissions to create pods can use a crafted checkpoint image to force containerd to pull a malicious image and assign it an arbitrary local tag, thereby poisoning the node's local image cache. Subsequently, if other pods on the same node attempt to use the poisoned tag with an IfNotPresent (or Never) pull policy, they will unknowingly execute the attacker's malicious image instead of the legitimate one. This can lead to a compromise of the affected pods, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code under the victim pod's identity. This issue has been fixed in versions 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9.
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 confidencecontainerd versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5, and 2.1.9 have a vulnerability in the CRI checkpoint import process that fails to validate image references within checkpoint image configurations. Attackers with pod creation permissions can craft a malicious checkpoint to force containerd to pull an attacker-controlled image and tag it arbitrarily in the local cache, poisoning it for subsequent pods using IfNotPresent or Never pull policies.
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>= 2.1.0, < 2.1.9>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.5>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.2CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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.
-
Check containerd versionRun `containerd --version` or `ctr version` to get the installed version numberAffected if The version is 2.1.x before 2.1.9, 2.2.x before 2.2.5, or 2.3.x before 2.3.2
-
Verify CRI plugin is enabledCheck containerd config at /etc/containerd/config.toml for cri section or run `containerd config default` and look for cri plugin being loadedAffected if CRI plugin is enabled (this vulnerability affects the CRI checkpoint import path)
-
Identify pods using IfNotPresent or Never image pull policiesRun `kubectl get pods -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{.spec.containers[*].imagePullPolicy}{"\n"}{end}'` to list pods and their pull policiesAffected if Any pods exist with IfNotPresent or Never policies, as these could consume poisoned cached images
-
Inspect existing checkpoint imagesList checkpoint images with `crictl images` or check containerd content store at /var/lib/containerd/io.containerd.snapshotter... for checkpoint-related imagesAffected if Checkpoint images with suspicious or unexpected image references are present in the local cache
You are affected if containerd version is in the vulnerable ranges (2.1.0-2.1.8, 2.2.0-2.2.4, or 2.3.0-2.3.1) and CRI is enabled with pods using IfNotPresent or Never pull policies.
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 · scoped2.1.92.2.52.3.2
Upgrade containerd to version 2.3.2, 2.2.5, or 2.1.9 or later. Additionally, restrict pod creation permissions for untrusted users and audit existing checkpoint images for malicious references.
containerd 2.1.9, 2.2.5, or 2.3.2 (recommended: 2.3.2)
- 1. Identify the currently installed containerd version using 'containerd --version' or checking your container runtime configuration
- 2. Stop any services depending on containerd (e.g., kubelet, docker) to ensure a safe upgrade process
- 3. Upgrade containerd to version 2.1.9, 2.2.5, or 2.3.2 (recommended: 2.3.2 for latest security fixes) using your system's package manager (e.g., apt-get, yum, dnf) or by downloading from the official GitHub releases
- 4. Verify the installation was successful by running 'containerd --version' and confirming the output shows a fixed version
- 5. Restart containerd and any dependent services (kubelet, docker, etc.)
- 6. Clear any potentially poisoned local image cache by removing untrusted checkpoint images and re-pulling images as needed
- 7. Monitor for any unusual pod behavior and review pod creation permissions to limit exposure to attackers who could create malicious checkpoints
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-50195 — 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-2026-50195 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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