# CVE-2026-44849: Portainer: Endpoint security bypass via Swarm service create/update

> Attackers can bypass endpoint security restrictions on Docker Swarm services, allowing privileged container execution in Portainer.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.4 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 28 May 2026
- **Updated:** 29 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5fxq-qcf3-244w, GO-2026-5143

## What is CVE-2026-44849?

CVE-2026-44849 is a critical vulnerability in portainer, published on 28 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. From 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0, Portainer enforces seven EndpointSecuritySettings restrictions that administrators configure to restrict the container configurations non-admin users can launch: privileged mode, host PID namespace, device mapping, capabilities, sysctls, security-opt (Seccomp / AppArmor), and bind mounts. These restrictions are enforced on the standard container creation path, but several of them are not applied on the Docker Swarm service API. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44849?

7 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/portainer/portainer. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | All versions | None |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.33.0 | 2.33.8 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.33.0 | 2.33.8 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.39.0 | 2.39.2 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.39.0 | 2.39.2 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.40.0 | 2.41.0 |
| `github.com/portainer/portainer` | Go | From 2.40.0 | 2.41.0 |

Products: Portainer Portainer.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-44849?

Upgrade github.com/portainer/portainer to a fixed version for your release line: 2.33.8, 2.39.2 or 2.41.0.

## Is CVE-2026-44849 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44849 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in portainer

- [CVE-2019-16872](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16872/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2022-24961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24961/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-24264](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-24264/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-19466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19466/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-19367](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-19367/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-44849 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-44849 is a critical vulnerability in portainer, published on 28 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44849 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.33.0; fixed in 2.33.8
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.33.0; fixed in 2.33.8
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.39.0; fixed in 2.39.2
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.39.0; fixed in 2.39.2
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.40.0; fixed in 2.41.0
- github.com/portainer/portainer (Go): affected from 2.40.0; fixed in 2.41.0

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-2026-44849/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44849/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44849
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44849
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44849

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44849/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.