Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the docker CLI is executed as a privileged user.
This issue affects Docker CLI: through 29.1.5 and Windows binaries acting as a CLI-plugin manager using the github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager package, such as Docker Compose.
This issue does not impact non-Windows binaries, and projects not using the plugin-manager code.
Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the docker CLI is executed as a privileged user.
This issue affects Docker CLI: through 29.1.5 and Windows binaries acting as a CLI-plugin manager using the github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager package, such as Docker Compose.
This issue does not impact non-Windows binaries, and projects not using the plugin-manager code.
https://www.imperva.com/blog/copyescape-taking-over-docker-hosts-with-docker-cp/ Author here. I discovered a vulnerability in docker cp that allows a malicious container to create or overwrite files on the machine running the Docker CLI.
The exploit combines a filesystem race in Docker’s archive creation with unsafe symlink handling during extraction. Depending on the CLI user’s privileges, this can lead to code execution. Docker confirmed that sbx cp was also affected.
Fixed versions:
Docker Engine/CLI 29.7.2+ Docker Desktop 4.86.0+ Docker Sandboxes 0.38.0+
Happy to answer technical questions.
Author here. We discovered a vulnerability in docker cp that allows a malicious container to create or overwrite files on the machine running the Docker CLI.
The exploit combines a filesystem race in Docker’s archive creation with unsafe symlink handling during extraction. Depending on the CLI user’s privileges, this can lead to developer-account compromise or root code execution. Docker confirmed that sbx cp was also affected.
Fixed versions:
Docker Engine/CLI 29.7.2+ Docker Desktop 4.86.0+ Docker Sandboxes 0.38.0+
Happy to answer technical questions.