CVE-2025-15558
Docker Desktop Docker Plugins Uncontrolled Search Path Element Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 7.0 High
- Published
- Mar 4, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 15, 2026
- Reserved
- Feb 3, 2026
Description
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.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 7.0 High | 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 | Docker |
| 3.1 | 7.3 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | redhat-SADP |
Weaknesses
- CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
Docker CLIDocker |
|
ComposeDocker |
|
References
- https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-CAN-28304/third-party-advisory
- https://github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713patch
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-15558vdb-entry
- RHBZ#2444574issue-tracking
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-15558.json
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