How severe is CVE-2026-46680?

CVE-2026-46680 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-46680 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (13th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-46680?

CVE-2026-46680 affects Linuxfoundation Containerd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-46680?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2026-46680 published?

CVE-2026-46680 was published on 2026-07-01 and last updated on 2026-07-03.

CVE-2026-46680

CVE-2026-46680 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linuxfoundation Containerd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v4: 7.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (13th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Linuxfoundation Containerd
Published: 2026-07-01
Last modified: 2026-07-03

Description

containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username, leading to runAsNonRoot evasion. If a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd file mapping this large numeric string to root, the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This allows the Kubernetes runAsNonRoot restriction to be bypassed, causing unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-46680?: containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username, leading to runAsNonRoot evasion. If a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd file mapping this large numeric string to root, the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This allows the Kubernetes runAsNonRoot restriction to be bypassed, causing unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1.
How severe is CVE-2026-46680?: CVE-2026-46680 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-46680 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (13th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-46680?: CVE-2026-46680 affects Linuxfoundation Containerd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-46680?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2026-46680 published?: CVE-2026-46680 was published on 2026-07-01 and last updated on 2026-07-03.

References

https://github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-fqw6-gf59-qr4w

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:containerd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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