# CVE-2023-5165: Docker Desktop before 4.23.0 allows Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via debug shell

> Unprivileged users can bypass Enhanced Container Isolation restrictions via a debug shell accessible shortly after launching Docker Desktop.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 24 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rc4h-xgcc-x9w4

## What is CVE-2023-5165?

CVE-2023-5165 is a high-severity vulnerability in Docker Desktop, published on 25 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Docker Desktop before 4.23.0 allows an unprivileged user to bypass Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) restrictions via the debug shell which remains accessible for a short time window after launching Docker Desktop. The affected functionality is available for Docker Business customers only and assumes an environment where users are not granted local root or Administrator privileges. 

This issue has been fixed in Docker Desktop 4.23.0. 

Affected Docker Desktop versions: from 4.13.0 before 4.23.0.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-424 (Improper Protection of Alternate Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5165?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Docker Docker Desktop.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5165?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5165 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5165 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5165 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Docker Desktop

- [CVE-2026-5817](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5817/): Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via unsandboxed trust_remote_code in Python inference backends (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-5843](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5843/): Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via MLX-LM model_file importlib loading (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-6406](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-6406/): Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-44719](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-44719/): Missing authorization in n/a (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2023-0625](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0625/): Docker Desktop before 4.12.0 is vulnerable to RCE via a crafted extension description or changelog (high 8.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5165 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5165 is a high-severity vulnerability in Docker Desktop, published on 25 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5165 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Docker Desktop. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5165/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5165/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5165
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5165
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5165

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5165/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.