CVE-2026-54636
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 · uneditedDokku is a docker-powered PaaS. Prior to 0.38.7, the cron plugin utilizes commands in the app.json file to manage system cron running as the Dokku user. An app.json cron command utilizing special shell characters - including, but not limited to, > or ; - can break out of the Docker container and execute commands on the host as the Dokku user. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.38.7.
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 confidenceThe Dokku cron plugin processes commands from app.json files without sanitizing special shell characters (> or ;). This allows command injection that escapes the Docker container and executes commands on the host as the Dokku user.
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< 0.38.7CVSS 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.
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Check installed Dokku versionRun `dokku version` or check via package manager: `apt list --installed 2>/dev/null | grep -i dokku`Affected if Version is lower than 0.38.7 (e.g., 0.38.6, 0.38.5, etc.)
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Verify cron plugin is presentList available plugins with `dokku plugin:list` or check for cron plugin directory at `/var/lib/dokku/plugins/available/cron`Affected if Cron plugin is installed and enabled
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Find app.json files with cron definitionsSearch app directories (typically under `/home/dokku` or `/var/lib/dokku`) for app.json files containing `"cron"` or `"schedule"` entries: `find /home/dokku -name app.json -exec grep -l -E 'cron|schedule' {} \;`Affected if Any app.json contains cron/schedule configuration that could include unsanitized shell characters
Environment is affected if running Dokku version below 0.38.7 with the cron plugin enabled and apps using cron schedules in their app.json files
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 · scoped0.38.7
Upgrade Dokku to version 0.38.7 or later to patch the cron plugin vulnerability.
0.38.7
- Upgrade Dokku to version 0.38.7 or later to remediate the command injection vulnerability in the cron plugin
- Verify the upgrade by checking the Dokku version with: dokku version
- After upgrade, ensure any app.json cron configurations do not contain untrusted shell special characters (> or ;) as they could still be exploited
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-54636 — 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-2026-54636 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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