Vulnerability · Published May 22, 2026 · Assigned by Docker
CVE-2026-6406Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag
High 8.8
In plain English
A high-severity incorrect authorization in Docker Desktop from Docker. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 11% of all known vulnerabilities).
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.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Docker | Docker Desktop | 4.41.0 – before 4.59.0 |
Weakness: CWE-863 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/#4590 release-notes
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-299/ third-party-advisory