high CVSS 8.8

CVE-2026-44848·Docker vulnerability

Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. From 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0, The Docker plugin management endpoints (/plugins/*) were not registered with a handler, so standard users with endpoint access could call privileged plugin operations — including installing and enabling plugins — directly against the underlying Docker daemon. The vulnerability is exposed when a non-admin Portainer user (Standard User role, or any role granted endpoint-level access) has been given access to a Docker endpoint via Portainer RBAC. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0.

Severity
high
Software
Docker
Fixed in
2.39.2
Published
2026-05-28

Affected versions

From: 2.34.0

Until: 2.39.2

Fixed in: 2.39.2

How to fix this CVE

Update Docker to version 2.39.2 or later to patch the privilege escalation vulnerability in the plugin management endpoints. Standard users with endpoint access could previously execute privileged Docker plugin operations without proper authorization checks. Apply the update immediately to all Docker installations, particularly those integrated with container management platforms that enforce role-based access control.

sudo dnf update docker-ce

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check installed Docker version: docker --version or docker version | grep 'Server version'
  2. If using Portainer, verify the version with: curl -s http://localhost:9000/api/status | jq '.Version' (or check the admin panel)
  3. Review Docker daemon logs for unauthorized plugin operations: sudo journalctl -u docker -n 200 | grep -i 'plugin' or grep 'plugin' /var/log/docker.log
  4. Confirm the patch by verifying the installed package: apt-cache policy docker-ce (Debian/Ubuntu) or dnf info docker-ce (RHEL/CentOS)

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-44848?

This is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Docker plugin management endpoints where role-based access controls were not properly enforced, allowing standard users to execute administrative plugin operations they should not have access to.

Is CVE-2026-44848 being actively exploited?

According to CISA, this vulnerability is not currently listed as actively exploited in the wild, and no public exploits are available.

What versions of Docker are affected by CVE-2026-44848?

Docker versions from 2.34.0 through 2.39.1 are vulnerable. Version 2.39.2 and later contain the fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-44848?

Run 'docker version | grep Server version' and compare against 2.39.1 or earlier. If your version is below 2.39.2, you are vulnerable and should update immediately.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-44848?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Docker is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-44848 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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