critical CVSS 10

CVE-2026-26216·Docker vulnerability

Crawl4AI versions prior to 0.8.0 contain a remote code execution vulnerability in the Docker API deployment. The /crawl endpoint accepts a hooks parameter containing Python code that is executed using exec(). The __import__ builtin was included in the allowed builtins, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to import arbitrary modules and execute system commands. Successful exploitation allows full server compromise, including arbitrary command execution, file read and write access, sensitive data exfiltration, and lateral movement within internal networks.

Severity
critical
Software
Docker
Fixed in
0.8.0
Published
2026-02-12

Affected versions

Until: 0.8.0

Fixed in: 0.8.0

How to fix this CVE

Upgrade Docker to version 0.8.0 or later to patch the unsafe code execution vulnerability in the hooks parameter. This update removes the dangerous __import__ builtin from the allowed execution context, preventing remote attackers from importing modules and executing arbitrary system commands. Organizations running vulnerable versions should prioritize this update as the vulnerability allows unauthenticated network access to container infrastructure.

sudo dnf update docker-ce

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST /crawl HTTP/1.1.*hooks.*__import__.*exec\(|POST /crawl HTTP/1.1.*hooks.*__builtins__|POST /crawl.*hooks=.*import os

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Implement WAF rules to block POST requests to /crawl endpoints containing 'hooks' parameters with Python keywords such as '__import__', 'exec', 'eval', '__builtins__', or 'os.system'. Restrict /crawl endpoint access to whitelisted internal IP ranges and require API authentication tokens before processing any requests.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Run 'docker --version' to identify the installed Docker version and verify it is 0.8.0 or later
  2. Check if the /crawl endpoint is exposed externally by reviewing firewall rules and reverse proxy configurations pointing to Docker API ports
  3. Search application logs and Docker daemon logs for POST requests to /crawl endpoints containing 'hooks' parameters: grep -r 'hooks' /var/log/docker/ /var/log/containers/
  4. After patching, re-run 'docker --version' and verify the version number has incremented to confirm the security update was successfully applied

Indicators of compromise

  • HTTP POST requests to /crawl endpoint with hooks parameter containing Python code
  • Presence of __import__ statements in application logs or audit trails
  • Unexpected child processes spawned from Docker daemon with shell execution patterns

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-26216?

This is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in Docker deployments where the /crawl endpoint unsafely executes Python code from user-supplied hooks parameters. Attackers can leverage the exposed __import__ builtin to load arbitrary Python modules and execute system commands without authentication.

Is CVE-2026-26216 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not currently listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and no public exploits are available. However, the critical CVSS 10.0 score and ease of exploitation make it a priority target for threat actors.

What versions of Docker are affected by CVE-2026-26216?

All Docker versions prior to 0.8.0 are vulnerable. The exact earliest affected version is unknown, but users should assume any deployment running version 0.7.x or earlier requires immediate patching.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-26216?

Run 'docker --version' and compare the output against version 0.8.0. If your version is lower, you are vulnerable. Additionally, check if the Docker API is exposed to untrusted networks using 'netstat -tlnp | grep docker'.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-26216?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Docker is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-26216 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Docker CVEs

CVE-2026-57572CVSS 10Crawl4AI is an open-source LLM-friendly web crawler and scraper. Prior to 0.9.0, the Docker API server accepted request-supplied browser_config.extra_args, which flowed into Chromium's launch arguments. An attacker could inject Chromium switches that replace a child-process launch command together with --no-zygote, causing Chromium to fork or exec an attacker-controlled command as the container's runtime user. The Docker API is unauthenticated by default, so a single request yields arbitrary command execution. This issue is fixed in version 0.9.0.
CVE-2026-44329CVSS 10free5GC is an open-source implementation of the 5G core network. Prior to 4.2.2, free5GC's SMF mounts the UPI management route group without OAuth2/bearer-token authorization middleware. A network attacker who can reach SMF on the SBI can hit UPI endpoints with no Authorization header at all, and the requests reach the SMF business handlers. In the running Docker lab this was directly demonstrated for read (GET /upi/v1/upNodesLinks), write (POST /upi/v1/upNodesLinks with attacker-controlled UP-node and link payload), and delete (DELETE /upi/v1/upNodesLinks/{nodeID}) operations. This vulnerability is fixed in 4.2.2.
CVE-2026-42298CVSS 10Postiz is an AI social media scheduling tool. Prior to commit da44801, a "Pwn Request" vulnerability in the Build and Publish PR Docker Image workflow (.github/workflows/pr-docker-build.yml) allows any unauthenticated user to execute arbitrary code during the Docker build process and exfiltrate a highly privileged GITHUB_TOKEN (write-all permissions). This can be achieved simply by opening a Pull Request from a fork with a maliciously modified Dockerfile.dev. This issue has been patched via commit da44801.
CVE-2026-33587CVSS 10Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and subsequently OS commands) on the docker container via Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) for user-created transformations.
CVE-2026-53576CVSS 10Kestra is an open-source, event-driven orchestration platform. Prior to 1.0.45 and 1.3.21, the authentication filter for the REST API (@Filter("/api/v1/**")) treats any request whose path ends in /configs as the public instance-config endpoint and forwards it without a credential check. kestra addresses its resources by URL path segments that the caller chooses (/api/v1/{tenant}/flows/{namespace}, /api/v1/{tenant}/executions/{namespace}/{id}, /api/v1/{tenant}/namespaces/{namespace}/kv/{key}). An anonymous caller picks the literal configs as the final segment, and the request bypasses Basic-Auth entirely. Because the bypass reaches the flow-create and execution-trigger routes, an unauthenticated caller creates a flow containing a Shell or Process task and runs it. The task executes as root inside the kestra container. The official docker-compose.yml mounts /var/run/docker.sock, so root in the container reaches the host Docker daemon. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.0.45 and 1.3.21.

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2026-26216. Free for 1 server.

Get started free