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Docker DesktopApplication · Docker

CVE-2026-5843

HIGH · 8.6 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.71.0 or later.
See remediation →
89/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
The MLX inference backend in Docker Model Runner on macOS uses the MLX-LM library, which unconditionally imports and executes arbitrary Python files from model directories via the model_file configuration field in config.json. When a model's config.json specifies a model_file pointing to a Python file, MLX-LM uses importlib to load and execute it with no trust_remote_code gate or equivalent safety check. The MLX backend runs without sandboxing, resulting in arbitrary code execution on the Docker host as the Docker Desktop user. Any container on the Docker network can trigger this by calling the model-runner.docker.internal API to pull a malicious model from an attacker-controlled OCI registry and request inference.

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

Docker Model Runner's MLX inference backend on macOS unconditionally imports and executes arbitrary Python files from model directories via the model_file field in config.json using importlib, with no trust_remote_code gate or sandboxing. Any container on the Docker network can trigger arbitrary code execution on the Docker host by pulling a malicious model from an attacker-controlled OCI registry and requesting inference.

MitigationImplement trust_remote_code validation before model_file execution and add sandboxing to the MLX backend to prevent arbitrary code execution from untrusted model packages.

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
Docker DesktopApplication
Affected:>= 4.56.0, < 4.71.0

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 Docker Desktop version
    Open Docker Desktop and navigate to About, or run 'docker version' in the terminal. Confirm the version falls within the range >= 4.56.0 and < 4.71.0
    Affected if Docker Desktop version is between 4.56.0 and 4.70.x inclusive
  2. Verify Docker Model Runner is installed and active
    Check if Docker Model Runner is available by running 'docker model list' or checking for the docker-model-runner service/container
    Affected if Docker Model Runner is installed and running
  3. Identify if MLX backend is enabled
    Examine the Docker Model Runner configuration or the model being used. Look for MLX-specific backend configuration in model config files or runtime settings
    Affected if MLX backend is the active or configured backend for model inference
  4. Inspect model loading source
    Review the model configuration files (such as config.json within model directories) to identify the source OCI registry and the model_file field being used
    Affected if Models are being loaded from OCI registries, particularly untrusted or third-party registries
  5. Check for absence of trust_remote_code safeguards
    Examine the model configuration or Docker Model Runner settings for any trust_remote_code parameter and confirm it is not set to false or not enforced for MLX backend
    Affected if trust_remote_code is not enforced or is missing for model loading from OCI registries

A user is affected if running Docker Desktop 4.56.0 through 4.70.x with Docker Model Runner using the MLX backend to load models from OCI registries without trust_remote_code verification enabled.

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 4.71.0 or later
Fixed in 4.71.0
Interim mitigation

Implement trust_remote_code validation before model_file execution and add sandboxing to the MLX backend to prevent arbitrary code execution from untrusted model packages.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Docker Desktop 4.71.0 or later

  1. 1. Ensure Docker Desktop is not running by clicking the Docker Desktop icon in the menu bar and selecting 'Quit Docker Desktop'
  2. 2. Download Docker Desktop version 4.71.0 or later from the official Docker website (https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/)
  3. 3. Install the downloaded Docker Desktop .dmg file by opening it and dragging the Docker icon to the Applications folder
  4. 4. Launch Docker Desktop and wait for it to start completely
  5. 5. Verify the installed version by clicking the Docker Desktop icon and selecting 'About Docker Desktop' - it should show version 4.71.0 or higher
  6. 6. After upgrading, Docker Model Runner will prompt for user confirmation before loading any model files from remote sources, mitigating the arbitrary code execution vulnerability
Caveat Users of the MLX inference backend will need to explicitly confirm when loading models from remote OCI registries, which may require adjusting automated workflows

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

Fix this in Docker Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,640
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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-2026-5843 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