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ContainerdApplication · Linuxfoundation

CVE-2026-53488

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.7.33 / 2.0.10 or later.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Zero-click 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 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10 the CRI plugin propagates labels from an image config (LABEL instruction in Dockerfile) to a container without validation. This may result in executing an arbitrary command on the host, via a plugin that consumes container labels for some operations. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10.

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

The containerd CRI plugin propagates labels from image configs (Dockerfile LABEL instructions) directly to containers without any validation. This allows malicious labels to be injected via a crafted image, which can then be interpreted by plugins that consume container labels for operations, potentially enabling arbitrary command execution on the host system.

MitigationUpgrade containerd to version 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, 2.0.10 or later to obtain the label validation fix. Review and restrict plugins that consume container labels as a defense-in-depth measure until upgrades are completed.

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:>= 1.7.0, < 1.7.33>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.10>= 2.1.0, < 2.1.9>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.5>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.2

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 checks

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

  1. Check containerd version
    Run `containerd --version` or `ctr version` to obtain the installed containerd version. If those commands are unavailable, check the containerd binary file version property or the package manager installed version.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: >= 1.7.0 and < 1.7.33, >= 2.0.0 and < 2.0.10, >= 2.1.0 and < 2.1.9, >= 2.2.0 and < 2.2.5, or >= 2.3.0 and < 3.0.0 and < 2.3.2. If the version is unknown or falls into any of these ranges, the system may be affected.
  2. Verify CRI plugin is enabled
    Check the containerd configuration file (typically at /etc/containerd/config.toml) for the presence of the CRI plugin section. Also verify that containerd is configured to use a CRI-compatible runtime by checking for ' cri' in the runtime section or by inspecting running containerd processes with `ps aux | grep containerd`.
    Affected if The CRI plugin is enabled in containerd configuration and the runtime is using a CRI-compatible runtime (such as containerd-shim-runsc-v1 or cri-containerd). This component is required for the vulnerability to be exploitable.
  3. Identify images from untrusted sources
    List all running and pulled images using `crictl images` or `crictl inspecti <image>` and review the image source registry. Check for images from private registries, custom-built images, or registries that are not verified organizational registries.
    Affected if The environment is using container images from untrusted, custom, or third-party sources that could contain attacker-controlled labels. The attack requires an attacker who can control image labels.
  4. Inspect container label propagation
    Use `crictl inspect <container_id>` or `docker inspect <container_id>` (if using Docker with containerd) to examine the labels applied to running containers. Compare these labels against the labels defined in the original image using `crictl inspecti <image>` to confirm propagation.
    Affected if Labels from the image config (Dockerfile LABEL instructions) are being propagated to containers without validation. This is the vulnerable behavior. If image labels appear directly on containers, the vulnerability is present.

You are affected if containerd version falls within the affected ranges listed, the CRI plugin is enabled, and untrusted or custom images with controllable labels are being used in the environment.

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 1.7.33 / 2.0.10 / 2.1.9 or later
Fixed in 1.7.332.0.102.1.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade containerd to version 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, 2.0.10 or later to obtain the label validation fix. Review and restrict plugins that consume container labels as a defense-in-depth measure until upgrades are completed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to containerd 1.7.33, 2.0.10, 2.1.9, 2.2.5, or 2.3.2 (or later). The recommended path is to upgrade to the latest stable 2.x release (2.3.2 or later) for the most complete fix.

  1. 1. Identify the current containerd version in use: `containerd --version` or `ctr version`
  2. 2. Determine the installation method (e.g., package manager, Docker, Kubernetes kubelet, or standalone binary)
  3. 3. For package manager installations: Stop any services depending on containerd (e.g., Docker, containerd service)
  4. 4. Update containerd using the appropriate method for your installation: a) Package managers: `apt-get update && apt-get install containerd` or `yum update containerd` or equivalent; b) Standalone binary: Download the fixed release from github.com/containerd/containerd/releases (versions 1.7.33, 2.0.10, 2.1.9, 2.2.5, or 2.3.2+)
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful: `containerd --version`
  6. 6. Restart containerd and dependent services (e.g., Docker daemon or kubelet)
  7. 7. Test that containers can be created and run normally after the upgrade
Caveat Standard upgrade risks apply: review release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and the target version. Test in a non-production environment first.

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

Fix this in Containerd Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,100
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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-2026-53488 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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