# CVE-2026-79994: Docker Sandboxes UDS forwarder can reach arbitrary host Unix sockets through a symlink race

> A malicious guest can exploit a symlink race to connect the host to arbitrary Unix sockets, potentially exposing sensitive data or capabilities.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/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:** No
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wq46-97v9-q386, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-79994

## What is CVE-2026-79994?

CVE-2026-79994 is a high-severity vulnerability in Docker Sandboxes, published on 15 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The guest-to-host Unix-domain socket relay in Docker Sandboxes validates that a socket path is inside an authorized workspace, but later reconnects using the pathname. A malicious guest can replace an intermediate directory with a symlink between validation and connection, causing the host to connect to an arbitrary AF_UNIX socket outside the shared workspace. This can expose data or host-side capabilities provided by the targeted socket.

Weakness: CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-79994?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-79994?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-79994 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-79994 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-79994 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-79994 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-79994 is a high-severity vulnerability in Docker Sandboxes, published on 15 Sep 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-2026-79994 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Docker Sandboxes. 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-2026-79994/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-79994/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-79994
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-79994
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-79994

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-79994/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.