How severe is CVE-2026-53488?

CVE-2026-53488 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-53488 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-53488?

CVE-2026-53488 affects Linuxfoundation Containerd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-53488?

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-2026-53488 published?

CVE-2026-53488 was published on 2026-07-01 and last updated on 2026-07-03.

CVE-2026-53488

CVE-2026-53488 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linuxfoundation Containerd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v4: 9.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (10th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
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 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10 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. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-53488?: containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10 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. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.33, 2.3.2, 2.2.5, 2.1.9, and 2.0.10.
How severe is CVE-2026-53488?: CVE-2026-53488 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-53488 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-53488?: CVE-2026-53488 affects Linuxfoundation Containerd. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-53488?: 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-2026-53488 published?: CVE-2026-53488 was published on 2026-07-01 and last updated on 2026-07-03.

References

https://github.com/containerd/containerd/security/advisories/GHSA-xhf5-7wjv-pqxp

Affected products (1)

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

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