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ContainerdApplication · Linuxfoundation

CVE-2026-53489

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.1.9 / 2.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click 7 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. Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9 contain a bug where the CRI plugin restores container.log from a checkpoint image without validating a symlinked path. This could result in reading an arbitrary file on the host via kubectl logs. 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 confidence

The CRI plugin in containerd versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5, and 2.1.9 fails to validate symlink paths when restoring container.log from checkpoint images. This allows an attacker to manipulate symlinks during checkpoint restore, enabling arbitrary host file reads through kubectl logs commands.

MitigationUpgrade containerd to version 2.3.2, 2.2.5, or 2.1.9 or later to patch the symlink validation bypass in the CRI plugin.

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:>= 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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

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. Determine installed containerd version
    Run `containerd --version` or `ctr version` to get the containerd daemon version
    Affected if Version is 2.1.0 to 2.1.8, 2.2.0 to 2.2.4, or 2.3.0 to 2.3.1 (prior to patched releases 2.1.9, 2.2.5, or 2.3.2)
  2. Confirm CRI plugin is enabled
    Check containerd config file (typically /etc/containerd/config.toml) for `plugins."io.containerd.grpc.v1.cri"` section and ensure it is not disabled
    Affected if CRI plugin is enabled in the configuration
  3. Verify checkpoint restore capability is in use
    Inspect for presence of checkpoint images or container restore operations: check for stored checkpoint data in containerd's state directory (typically /var/lib/containerd) or look for containers created with checkpoint/restore flags
    Affected if Checkpoint images exist or containers are being restored from checkpoints
  4. Check container log configuration
    Review containerd config.toml for `ContainerLogMaxFiles` and `ContainerLogMaxSize` settings under the CRI plugin section, as these control container.log behavior that gets restored from checkpoints
    Affected if Log configuration is present and checkpoint restore is used (the vulnerability specifically affects container.log restoration from checkpoint images)

You are affected if running a vulnerable containerd version (2.1.x before 2.1.9, 2.2.x before 2.2.5, or 2.3.x before 2.3.2) with the CRI plugin enabled and using checkpoint/restore functionality.

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 2.1.9 / 2.2.5 / 2.3.2 or later
Fixed in 2.1.92.2.52.3.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade containerd to version 2.3.2, 2.2.5, or 2.1.9 or later to patch the symlink validation bypass in the CRI plugin.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to containerd 2.3.2 (or minimum 2.1.9/2.2.5 depending on your branch)

  1. Identify current containerd version using `containerd --version` or `ctr version`
  2. Stop containerd service using `systemctl stop containerd` or equivalent for your environment
  3. Upgrade containerd package to version 2.3.2 (or 2.2.5 for 2.2.x branch, or 2.1.9 for 2.1.x branch) using your package manager (e.g., apt, yum, or download from containerd releases)
  4. Verify the package installation completed successfully
  5. Start containerd service using `systemctl start containerd`
  6. Verify containerd is running and the version is correct: `containerd --version`
  7. Ensure Kubernetes/cri-plugin is functioning properly after upgrade
Caveat Review release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and target version; minor version upgrades within the same major series typically have low risk

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

Fix this in Containerd 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
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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-2026-53489 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