# CVE-2026-53489: containerd: Arbitrary host CRI log file read via symlink following in CRI checkpoint restore > Attackers can read arbitrary host files via symlink following in CRI checkpoint restore, impacting container runtime security. - **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Not needed - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 1 Jul 2026 - **Updated:** 2 Jul 2026 - **Also known as:** AZL-90173, BELL-CVE-2026-53489, CLEANSTART-2026-CQ80081, CLEANSTART-2026-GA67495, CLEANSTART-2026-ON16663, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53489, ECHO-a465-bfb8-9091, GHSA-rgh6-rfwx-v388, GO-2026-5622, MINI-25h7-2p24-grxc, MINI-263x-7pq9-jv7g, MINI-2f4j-cwvw-9pjh, MINI-2h34-wfp4-vcw4, MINI-2j2q-j9jh-5f46, MINI-2v67-5j8r-w64h, MINI-3825-g7q9-g9h2, MINI-398f-hch3-mvx2, MINI-39jc-g58c-c6m2, MINI-3c55-3hqc-j62x, MINI-3cf2-rqcf-6q8f, MINI-3m4c-3cq7-hp58, MINI-3mjf-qvw3-367f, MINI-3wpq-gc3r-qfg7, MINI-43w3-c933-f2g5, MINI-4648-hx62-gjjv, MINI-46xq-chgg-9ccj, MINI-47c6-77x8-h7qc, MINI-49m2-8g85-4j9h, MINI-4jjx-8jhf-ghx6, MINI-4xjg-3v99-h5w3, MINI-52vg-8h8f-hr6c, MINI-546r-h4gv-47hc, MINI-5485-9cm2-6jh2, MINI-54r7-j37m-v7mv, MINI-56wf-3x73-p59r, MINI-5859-p2jc-gjph, MINI-5cc4-qw8h-ffmq, MINI-5cpq-6x4r-m68v, MINI-5gg4-47cr-xfx5, MINI-5h2g-ccqm-x39v, MINI-5m2v-xj64-c8q5, MINI-5rf7-jpg3-vpj7, MINI-5v2m-cx2c-5xr5, MINI-5vc9-hfq5-x4xm, MINI-64qm-44vm-rwqm, MINI-6863-rwq8-rm3q, MINI-69hp-cchg-6535, MINI-69jr-cqj5-p4j2, MINI-69q3-v4pj-27mm, MINI-6h3w-5mc8-wphm, MINI-6mjj-fgrx-7qgh, MINI-6px8-534m-vh5j, MINI-6qm2-cm9g-cvc2, MINI-6w29-9265-53q5, MINI-77p4-h8cx-6534, MINI-785q-789h-r4x8, MINI-7cw2-23rj-mj5q, MINI-7cwj-rcx6-w5mp, MINI-7j9p-2qc8-6cwx, MINI-7p33-jqjm-q83v, MINI-82f7-7m6w-28j5, MINI-84c2-4x99-394g, MINI-87rf-g3jx-2mpv, MINI-884j-6pjg-fcj8, MINI-88hm-98jv-r7p8, MINI-8chx-hqcg-wchr, MINI-8pj6-prrc-c93m, MINI-8vqg-57mx-hq9m, MINI-93f4-cgfc-7q9v, MINI-93p4-5525-x5xw, MINI-9hgw-3p3x-j5cc, MINI-9r93-422g-wgp8, MINI-cch2-9xfx-57hr, MINI-cmvq-3v5c-672v, MINI-cqmq-3cg2-ffxx, MINI-crh4-83w8-v6rx, MINI-cvj2-73rw-chf9, MINI-f24j-979f-87m9, MINI-f6q2-73w4-wjmr, MINI-f7j7-x33j-pr56, MINI-fc9x-9qmp-4mjj, MINI-fmm3-5ghq-h926, MINI-fqg7-f43r-v995, MINI-g4j4-v4fp-m35m, MINI-g99f-6m43-9jmj, MINI-ggrm-5mw8-489p, MINI-gjr3-2mvp-252r, MINI-gp9x-77qm-47q4, MINI-gv5p-4296-6xrm, MINI-gxw7-cjxr-mcm4, MINI-h2v3-qmg4-4xcj, MINI-h35p-qrx6-c23m, MINI-h45w-6mr3-3gxq, MINI-h56p-78xp-fvjm, MINI-hc5p-vx9r-g9c5, MINI-hh9h-rhwm-cv99, MINI-hhjv-4r3r-rf6f, MINI-hx3w-qxj7-g4vp, MINI-hxvq-ccq4-h2h9, MINI-j6h5-8mh4-64fx, MINI-j99g-x3m2-h385, MINI-j9fm-c6h2-8gfj, MINI-jcrj-m2jr-6px9, MINI-jf4m-f88m-6xpm, MINI-jg6r-xwxr-wcrq, MINI-jh3v-jhcq-gf6r, MINI-jh5h-qfhw-qr6c, MINI-jh72-7vm7-6m2r, MINI-jr33-3j67-h8pr, MINI-jv29-wjj6-f8m4, MINI-jvvm-6q2h-8vp5, MINI-jvwg-3g7m-7v2c, MINI-jx2v-mpf3-p4g4, MINI-m22j-hgpw-gr92, MINI-m23r-g28f-2jr5, MINI-m3f9-387q-mv74, MINI-m4f9-p4hr-xv8q, MINI-m5wj-v6mh-38h3, MINI-mc49-4m86-mmpp, MINI-mg23-ff75-554p, MINI-mmhf-7px2-3hcf, MINI-mmrg-wg9x-fqx3, MINI-p7hg-5gvr-48vw, MINI-p7p8-98qq-5hch, MINI-p9vv-27fx-6g9c, MINI-pfjh-34gr-g6jx, MINI-pfvh-cfj5-69x5, MINI-pfwq-qjff-h7q5, MINI-pgr4-4f5h-w5mf, MINI-pmxx-9g6m-87mg, MINI-q2p7-xv26-4m7x, MINI-q4p9-4c98-87f8, MINI-qm6q-hrwg-gwh3, MINI-qm7g-xf76-9743, MINI-qq55-wjfq-jpjr, MINI-qrg7-pgwg-qrcw, MINI-qrhf-w65x-5hr5, MINI-qv9h-2gx5-9xqh, MINI-r3j6-6348-5hpw, MINI-r5j2-qxrh-wfxj, MINI-rf5j-f3wh-fjpr, MINI-rf5m-9g58-v4xq, MINI-rgj6-fwm3-35jp, MINI-rjh4-f9hp-wm4j, MINI-rjv9-xvc5-c4gx, MINI-rjvf-gwj3-88x5, MINI-rmfq-q9xx-3fqg, MINI-rw29-gh9g-x6vm, MINI-rwjf-j4vc-339f, MINI-v3qj-54j2-7cp3, MINI-v5jg-8h8v-vwh5, MINI-vfcg-pfc7-9r2r, MINI-vfx7-2r34-vhfm, MINI-vgf4-33rm-44jh, MINI-vgr3-3h37-c63m, MINI-vj6g-9wr8-mc32, MINI-vm98-4c22-5m22, MINI-vwxp-7p5f-92c3, MINI-w2wx-xr89-64vx, MINI-w9mx-p6fh-w9jv, MINI-wfv6-8wc8-fvm9, MINI-wxqh-wcgm-v69r, MINI-x29f-9757-h92g, MINI-x367-qc43-4r84, MINI-x579-3hgc-8fx5, MINI-x62w-v3c2-x3gg, MINI-x645-jr55-xwvf, MINI-x8h6-g3f8-p6vq, MINI-xfff-jpcm-69wm, MINI-xfvm-v8h8-v632, MINI-xfxw-pqr7-2q5h, MINI-xg85-mmh4-j7cm, MINI-xgfv-9w23-w6f5, MINI-xh28-g2mv-7q7v, MINI-xh66-7r2h-574r, MINI-xrv9-g676-g2ff, ROOT-APP-GOBINARY-CVE-2026-53489, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53489, USN-8472-1, USN-8473-1 ## What is CVE-2026-53489? CVE-2026-53489 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in containerd, published on 1 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description containerd is an open-source container runtime. Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9 contain a bug where the CRI plugin restores container.log from a checkpoint image without validating a symlinked path. This could result in reading an arbitrary file on the host via kubectl logs. This issue has been fixed in versions 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9. Weakness: CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53489? 8 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 and github.com/containerd/containerd. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.1.0 | 2.1.9, 2.2.5, 2.3.2 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.1.0 | 2.1.9 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.1.0 | 2.1.9 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.2.0 | 2.2.5 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.2.0 | 2.2.5 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.3.0 | 2.3.2 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd/v2` | Go | From 2.3.0 | 2.3.2 | | `github.com/containerd/containerd` | Go | All versions | None | Products: Linuxfoundation Containerd. ## How do I fix CVE-2026-53489? Upgrade github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 to a fixed version for your release line: 2.1.9, 2.2.5 or 2.3.2. ## Is CVE-2026-53489 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53489 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in containerd - [CVE-2026-53488](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53488/): containerd CRI — image-config `LABEL` flows to restart-monitor `binary://` logger: host-root command execution from an image pull (critical 9.4) - [CVE-2026-53492](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53492/): containerd CRI checkpoint restore CDI annotation smuggling (high 8.4) - [CVE-2025-47290](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-47290/): Containerd vulnerable to host filesystem access during image unpack (high 7.6) - [CVE-2026-46680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46680/): containerd user ID handling bypass allows runAsNonRoot evasion (high 7.3) - [CVE-2024-25621](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25621/): containerd affected by a local privilege escalation via wide permissions on CRI directory (high 7.3) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2026-53489 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2026-53489 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in containerd, published on 1 Jul 2026. 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-2026-53489 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.1.0; fixed in 2.1.9, 2.2.5, 2.3.2 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.1.0; fixed in 2.1.9 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.1.0; fixed in 2.1.9 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.2.0; fixed in 2.2.5 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.2.0; fixed in 2.2.5 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.3.0; fixed in 2.3.2 - github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go): affected from 2.3.0; fixed in 2.3.2 - github.com/containerd/containerd (Go): affected all versions; no fix listed 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-2026-53489/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53489/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53489 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53489 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53489 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53489/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.