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Docker DesktopApplication · Docker

CVE-2026-6406

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.59.0 or later.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Zero-click

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 Docker CLI --use-api-socket flag bypasses Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) restrictions in Docker Desktop. When ECI is enabled, Docker socket mounts from containers are denied unless explicitly allowed via the admin-settings configuration. However, the --use-api-socket flag adds the Docker socket mount via the HostConfig.Mounts field rather than the HostConfig.Binds field. The ECI enforcement in the Docker Desktop API proxy only inspected Binds, allowing the mount to pass unchecked. This grants a container full access to the Docker Engine socket and, if the host user has logged in to container registries, their authentication credentials. A local attacker with the ability to run Docker CLI commands can exploit this to escape ECI restrictions, access the Docker Engine, and potentially escalate privileges.

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 Desktop's Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) can be bypassed using the --use-api-socket flag, which mounts the Docker socket via HostConfig.Mounts instead of HostConfig.Binds. The ECI enforcement in the Docker Desktop API proxy only inspects the Binds field, allowing the mount to pass unchecked and granting containers full access to the Docker Engine and potentially registry credentials.

MitigationAwait the official Docker Desktop security patch addressing the ECI enforcement gap in the API proxy. In the meantime, restrict Docker CLI access to trusted users and monitor for unauthorized socket mounts.

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:>= 4.41.0, < 4.59.0

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
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 Docker Desktop version
    Open Docker Desktop and navigate to 'About Docker Desktop' or run 'docker version' to see the installed version number
    Affected if The installed version is >= 4.41.0 and < 4.59.0
  2. Verify Enhanced Container Isolation status
    In Docker Desktop settings, go to 'Settings > General' and check if 'Use Enhanced Container Isolation' is enabled
    Affected if ECI is enabled and the Docker Desktop version is in the affected range
  3. Identify containers using --use-api-socket
    Run 'docker ps -a --format "{{.ID}} {{.Command}}"' to list all containers and inspect their commands for the --use-api-socket flag
    Affected if Any container is running with the --use-api-socket flag
  4. Inspect Docker socket mounts in container configurations
    Run 'docker inspect <container_id>' for each container and examine the 'HostConfig.Mounts' section for Docker socket mounts (type: 'bind', source: '/var/run/docker.sock')
    Affected if Containers have Docker socket mounted via HostConfig.Mounts rather than HostConfig.Binds while ECI is enabled

A user is affected if Docker Desktop version is between 4.41.0 and 4.59.0, ECI is enabled, and containers are using --use-api-socket or have Docker socket mounts via HostConfig.Mounts.

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 4.59.0 or later
Fixed in 4.59.0
Interim mitigation

Await the official Docker Desktop security patch addressing the ECI enforcement gap in the API proxy. In the meantime, restrict Docker CLI access to trusted users and monitor for unauthorized socket mounts.

Recommended fix High confidence

Docker Desktop 4.59.0 or later

  1. Back up any important Docker data, volumes, and container configurations
  2. Download Docker Desktop version 4.59.0 or later from the official Docker website (docker.com/products/docker-desktop)
  3. Uninstall the current Docker Desktop version or run the installer to upgrade
  4. During installation, ensure Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) remains enabled in Docker Desktop settings
  5. After upgrade, verify the ECI setting is active in Docker Desktop > Settings > Security
  6. Test that the Docker socket mount is properly blocked when ECI is enabled - running a container with --use-api-socket should now be denied or restricted

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

Fix this in Docker Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
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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-2026-6406 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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