Summary
containerd CRI, image-config LABEL flows to restart-monitor binary:// logger: host-root command execution from an image pull
Full technical description
Workarounds
Ensure that only trusted images are used.
Credits
The containerd project would like to thank Anthropic Research, in collaboration with Claude, the GKE Security Team using Gemini, and Robert Prast (@robertprast) for independently discovering and responsibly disclosing this issue in accordance with the containerd security policy.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in containerd
- Email us at [email protected]
To report a security issue in containerd:
- Report a new vulnerability
- Email us at [email protected]
Impact
A bug was found in containerd where the CRI plugin propagates labels from an image config (LABEL instruction in Dockerfile) to a container without validation. This may result in executing an arbitrary command on the host, via a plugin that consumes container labels for some operations.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
This bug has been fixed in the following containerd versions:
- 2.3.2
- 2.2.5
- 2.1.9
- 2.0.10
- 1.7.33
Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-53488? CVE-2026-53488 is a high-severity security vulnerability in github.com/containerd/containerd (go), affecting versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.7.33. It is fixed in 1.7.33, 2.0.10, 2.1.9, 2.2.5, 2.3.2.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-53488?
github.com/containerd/containerd(go) (versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.7.33)github.com/containerd/containerd/v2(go) (versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.0.10)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-53488? Yes. CVE-2026-53488 is fixed in 1.7.33, 2.0.10, 2.1.9, 2.2.5, 2.3.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-53488 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-53488 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-53488 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-53488?
- Upgrade
github.com/containerd/containerdto 1.7.33 or later - Upgrade
github.com/containerd/containerd/v2to 2.0.10 or later - Upgrade
github.com/containerd/containerd/v2to 2.1.9 or later - Upgrade
github.com/containerd/containerd/v2to 2.2.5 or later - Upgrade
github.com/containerd/containerd/v2to 2.3.2 or later
- Upgrade