CVE-2026-6406 Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag
A local attacker can bypass Docker Desktop's Enhanced Container Isolation using a CLI flag to access the Docker socket and registry credentials.
- 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-2026-6406?
CVE-2026-6406 is a high-severity 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 Docker CLI --use-api-socket flag bypasses Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) restrictions in Docker Desktop. When ECI is enabled, Docker socket mounts from containers are denied unless explicitly allowed via the admin-settings configuration. However, the --use-api-socket flag adds the Docker socket mount via the HostConfig.Mounts field rather than the HostConfig.Binds field. The ECI enforcement in the Docker Desktop API proxy only inspected Binds, allowing the mount to pass unchecked. This grants a container full access to the Docker Engine socket and, if the host user has logged in to container registries, their authentication credentials.
A local attacker with the ability to run Docker CLI commands can exploit this to escape ECI restrictions, access the Docker Engine, and potentially escalate privileges.
Weakness: CWE-863
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-6406?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Docker Docker Desktop.
How do I fix CVE-2026-6406?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-6406 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-6406 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-6406 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Docker Desktop
- CVE-2026-5817 Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via unsandboxed trust_remote_code in Python inference backends
- CVE-2026-5843 Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via MLX-LM model_file importlib loading
- CVE-2021-44719 Missing authorization in n/a
- CVE-2023-0625 Docker Desktop before 4.12.0 is vulnerable to RCE via a crafted extension description or changelog
- CVE-2023-0626 Docker Desktop before 4.12.0 is vulnerable to RCE via query parameters in message-box route
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3f9v-226v-2qc9.