CVE-2026-5843 Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via MLX-LM model_file importlib loading

High 8.8 Published 22 May 2026 Updated 27 May 2026

Attackers can execute arbitrary code on the Docker host by tricking containers into loading malicious Python files via the MLX-LM backend.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Local or same network only
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2026-5843?

CVE-2026-5843 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Docker Desktop, published on 22 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

The MLX inference backend in Docker Model Runner on macOS uses the MLX-LM library, which unconditionally imports and executes arbitrary Python files from model directories via the model_file configuration field in config.json. When a model's config.json specifies a model_file pointing to a Python file, MLX-LM uses importlib to load and execute it with no trust_remote_code gate or equivalent safety check. The MLX backend runs without sandboxing, resulting in arbitrary code execution on the Docker host as the Docker Desktop user.

Any container on the Docker network can trigger this by calling the model-runner.docker.internal API to pull a malicious model from an attacker-controlled OCI registry and request inference.

Weakness: CWE-829

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5843?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Docker Docker Desktop.

How do I fix CVE-2026-5843?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5843 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and never evaluate templates, expressions or code built from user input. More about Code injection.

Is CVE-2026-5843 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5843 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-9m9w-53g9-47c4.