Docker Desktop Docker Plugins Uncontrolled Search Path Element Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the docker CLI is executed as a privileged user. This issue affects Docker CLI: through 29.1.5 and Windows binaries acting as a CLI-plugin manager using the github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager package, such as Docker Compose. This issue does not impact non-Windows binaries, and projects not using the plugin-manager code.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Mar 4, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 15, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 38th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-427
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Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · Docker
- 7.0
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/AU:N/R:U
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| docker | command line interface | cpe:2.3:a:docker:command_line_interface |
| microsoft | windows | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- docker command line interfaceup to 29.1.5 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Docker). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Docker Compose
- 5.1.0not affected
Docker Docker CLI
- 29.2.0not affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | github.com/docker/cli | from 19.03.0 · before 29.2.0 | 29.2.0 |
| Go | github.com/docker/cli | before 29.2.0+incompatible | 29.2.0+incompatible |
| Go | github.com/docker/compose | all versions | — |
| Go | github.com/docker/compose/v2 | from 2.31.0 | — |
| Go | github.com/docker/compose/v5 | before 5.1.0 | 5.1.0 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | govulncheck-vulndb | before 0.0.20260317T205859-150000.1.152.1 | 0.0.20260317T205859-150000.1.152.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | skaffold | before 2.18.0-1.1 | 2.18.0-1.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | teleport | before 17.7.23-1.1 | 17.7.23-1.1 |
Same product
docker: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-41092Docker CLI leaks private registry credentials to registry-1.docker.io30Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Go:github.com/docker/cli | 29.2.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| Go:github.com/docker/cli | 29.2.0+incompatible | Package registry (OSV) |
| Go:github.com/docker/compose/v5 | 5.1.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:govulncheck-vulndb | 0.0.20260317T205859-150000.1.152.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:skaffold | 2.18.0-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:teleport | 17.7.23-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Nitesh Surana (niteshsurana.com)Trend Researchfinder
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- P
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path ElementCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:N/R:U/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Hijack Execution Flow:DLL search order hijackingT1574.001
- Hijack Execution Flow: Dylib HijackingT1574.004
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment VariableT1574.007
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order HijackingT1574.008
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted PathT1574.009
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/
- github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713
- www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-CAN-28304/
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-15558
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2444574
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-15558.json
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.