# CVE-2026-6406: Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag

> CVE-2026-6406: Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag. CVSS 8.8 (CVSS 3.1).

Canonical: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2026-6406
Last updated: 2026-07-23T16:10:00Z

- Published: 2026-05-22 18:32 UTC · Updated: 2026-07-23 16:10 UTC · Assigner: Docker
- CVSS: 8.8 (CVSS 3.1) · Severity: High · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS: 0.21%, 11th percentile (scored 2026-10-25)
- CISA KEV: no
- CWE: CWE-863

## Description

The Docker CLI --use-api-socket flag bypasses Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) restrictions in Docker Desktop. When ECI is enabled, Docker socket mounts from containers are denied unless explicitly allowed via the admin-settings configuration. However, the --use-api-socket flag adds the Docker socket mount via the HostConfig.Mounts field rather than the HostConfig.Binds field. The ECI enforcement in the Docker Desktop API proxy only inspected Binds, allowing the mount to pass unchecked. This grants a container full access to the Docker Engine socket and, if the host user has logged in to container registries, their authentication credentials. A local attacker with the ability to run Docker CLI commands can exploit this to escape ECI restrictions, access the Docker Engine, and potentially escalate privileges.

## Affected vendors and products

- Docker: Docker Desktop

## Tracked companies

- [Docker](https://rewindex.com/company/docker.md)

## References

- [CVE record on cve.org](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-6406)
- [NVD entry](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-6406)
- [https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/\#4590](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/#4590)
- [https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-299/](https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-299/)

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_Sources: CVE records from the CVE Program (cve.org). CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. (https://www.cve.org/) This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. (https://nvd.nist.gov/) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog from CISA. (https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog) EPSS scores from FIRST (Exploit Prediction Scoring System). (https://www.first.org/epss/)_


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Canonical: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2026-6406 · Markdown: https://rewindex.com/cve/CVE-2026-6406.md · JSON: https://rewindex.com/api/v1/cves/CVE-2026-6406 · Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) · Generated 2026-10-26T02:15:20.878Z