Critical Docker Desktop flaw allows container escape and host system access
Take action: If you are running Docker Desktop, time to update it. Update to version 4.44.3 or later since ASAP. Updating of Docker Desktop is very easy, so don't wait to import a malicious containers.
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Docker has patched a critical security vulnerability that allows malicious containers running locally on Docker Desktop to bypass security restrictions and gain unauthorized access to the Docker Engine API, leading to compromise of host systems and escalation of privileges.
The flaw is tracked as CVE-2025-9074 (CVSS score 9.3) and is caused by the way Linux containers interact with the Docker Engine within Docker Desktop environments. Malicious containers can access the Docker Engine and launch additional containers without requiring the Docker socket to be mounted. This access is achieved through a pre-configured subnet interface, with the default address being 192.168.65.7:2375.
Attackers exploiting CVE-2025-9074 can execute privileged commands against the Docker Engine API, including controlling other containers, creating new containers, and managing Docker images with elevated privileges.
Even Docker's Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) feature, designed to provide additional security layers, does not mitigate this vulnerability.
Even with standard security hardening practices in place, including disabling the TCP daemon exposure setting, the flaw remains exploitable.
Docker released Docker Desktop version 4.44.3 on August 20, 2025 to patch CVE-2025-9074. The company has emphasized that Docker Desktop versions older than six months from the latest release are no longer supported or available for download.
Organizations and individual users are strongly urged to upgrade to Docker Desktop version 4.44.3 or later.
