CVE-2025-23266 NVIDIA Container Toolkit for all platforms contains an Untrusted Search Path

Critical 9.0 Published 17 Jul 2025 Updated 26 Feb 2026

Attackers can execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions via container initialization hooks, leading to privilege escalation and data tampering.

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

What is CVE-2025-23266?

CVE-2025-23266 is a critical vulnerability in NVIDIA Container Toolkit, published on 17 Jul 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

NVIDIA Container Toolkit for all platforms contains a vulnerability in some hooks used to initialize the container, where an attacker could execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to escalation of privileges, data tampering, information disclosure, and denial of service.

Weakness: CWE-426

Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-23266?

12 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/NVIDIA/nvidia-container-toolkit, github.com/NVIDIA/gpu-operator and github.com/NVIDIA/k8s-device-plugin.

Package	Affected	Fixed in
`github.com/NVIDIA/nvidia-container-toolkit` Go	All versions	`1.17.8`
`github.com/NVIDIA/nvidia-container-toolkit` Go	All versions	`1.17.8`
`github.com/NVIDIA/nvidia-container-toolkit` Go	All versions	`1.17.8`
`github.com/NVIDIA/gpu-operator` Go	All versions	None
`github.com/NVIDIA/gpu-operator` Go	All versions	`25.3.2`
`github.com/NVIDIA/gpu-operator` Go	All versions	`25.3.2`

6 more packages

`github.com/NVIDIA/k8s-device-plugin` Go	All versions	`0.17.3`
`github.com/NVIDIA/k8s-device-plugin` Go	All versions	`0.17.3`
`github.com/NVIDIA/k8s-device-plugin` Go	All versions	`0.17.3`
`github.com/NVIDIA/mig-parted` Go	All versions	`0.12.2`
`github.com/NVIDIA/mig-parted` Go	All versions	`0.12.2`
`github.com/NVIDIA/mig-parted` Go	All versions	`0.12.2`

Linux distribution packages (12)

`toolbox` AlmaLinux:10	All versions	`0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox-tests` AlmaLinux:10	All versions	`0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox` AlmaLinux:9	All versions	`0.2-1.el9_6`
`toolbox-tests` AlmaLinux:9	All versions	`0.2-1.el9_6`
`toolbox` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.0	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox-debuginfo` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.0	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox-debugsource` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.0	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox-tests` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:10.0	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el10_0`
`toolbox` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el9_6`
`toolbox-debuginfo` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el9_6`
`toolbox-debugsource` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el9_6`
`toolbox-tests` Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream	All versions	`0:0.2-1.el9_6`

How do I fix CVE-2025-23266?

Upgrade github.com/NVIDIA/nvidia-container-toolkit to 1.17.8 or later.

Is CVE-2025-23266 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23266 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code: 5 proofs of concept on GitHub.

Sources

Also known as ALSA-2025:13673, ALSA-2025:13674, AZL-65648, AZL-65651, GHSA-vmg3-7v43-9g23, GO-2025-3992 and 2 more.