# CVE-2025-9074: Docker Desktop allows unauthenticated access to Docker Engine API from containers

> Local containers can access the Docker Engine API without authentication, allowing attackers to execute privileged commands and potentially mount host drives.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4xcq-3fjf-xfqw

## What is CVE-2025-9074?

CVE-2025-9074 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Docker Desktop, published on 20 Aug 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability was identified in Docker Desktop that allows local running Linux containers to access the Docker Engine API via the configured Docker subnet, at 192.168.65.7:2375 by default. This vulnerability occurs with or without Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) enabled, and with or without the "Expose daemon on tcp://localhost:2375 without TLS" option enabled.
This can lead to execution of a wide range of privileged commands to the engine API, including controlling other containers, creating new ones, managing images etc. In some circumstances (e.g. Docker Desktop for Windows with WSL backend) it also allows mounting the host drive with the same privileges as the user running Docker Desktop.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-9074?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-9074?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-9074 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-9074 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-9074 exists.

Public exploit code:

- A vulnerability has been identified in Docker Desktop. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to trigger security restriction bypass on the targeted system. (github_poc): https://github.com/BridgerAlderson/CVE-2025-9074-PoC
- 一个功能强大的 Docker 远程 API 漏洞利用工具，用于 CVE-2025-9074 漏洞的安全研究和测试。 (github_poc): https://github.com/Shaoshi17/CVE-2025-9074-Docker-Exploit
- https://github.com/zenzue/CVE-2025-9074 (github_poc): https://github.com/zenzue/CVE-2025-9074
- New vulnerability found in Docker. Credit for finding the vulnerability goes to Felix Boulet (github_poc): https://github.com/j3r1ch0123/CVE-2025-9074
- Proof-of-Concept exploit for CVE-2025-9074 - Unauthenticated Docker API exposure allowing arbitrary container creation and host filesystem access. (github_poc): https://github.com/OilSeller2001/PoC-for-CVE-2025-9074
- Docker API CVE-2025-9074 PoC (Proof-Of-Concept). A sophisticated exploitation framework for CVE-2025-9074, targeting unauthenticated Docker API endpoints with an integrated interactive command shell. (github_poc): https://github.com/xwpdx0/poc-2025-9074

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-9074 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-9074 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Docker Desktop, published on 20 Aug 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-9074 exists.

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-2025-9074/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-9074/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-9074
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-9074
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-9074

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-9074/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.