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GHSA-xw73-rw38-6vjc

MediumCVSS 6.9 / 10
Published Feb 1, 2024·Last modified Feb 4, 2026
Affected Components(0)

No affected components available

Description

The classic builder cache system is prone to cache poisoning if the image is built FROM scratch. Also, changes to some instructions (most important being HEALTHCHECK and ONBUILD) would not cause a cache miss.

An attacker with the knowledge of the Dockerfile someone is using could poison their cache by making them pull a specially crafted image that would be considered as a valid cache candidate for some build steps.

For example, an attacker could create an image that is considered as a valid cache candidate for:

FROM scratch
MAINTAINER Pawel

when in fact the malicious image used as a cache would be an image built from a different Dockerfile.

In the second case, the attacker could for example substitute a different HEALTCHECK command.

Impact

23.0+ users are only affected if they explicitly opted out of Buildkit (DOCKER_BUILDKIT=0 environment variable) or are using the /build API endpoint (which uses the classic builder by default).

All users on versions older than 23.0 could be impacted. An example could be a CI with a shared cache, or just a regular Docker user pulling a malicious image due to misspelling/typosquatting.

Image build API endpoint (/build) and ImageBuild function from github.com/docker/docker/client is also affected as it the uses classic builder by default.

Patches

Patches are included in Moby releases:

  • v25.0.2
  • v24.0.9
  • v23.0.10

Workarounds

  • Use --no-cache or use Buildkit if possible (DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1, it's default on 23.0+ assuming that the buildx plugin is installed).
  • Use Version = types.BuilderBuildKit or NoCache = true in ImageBuildOptions for ImageBuild call.
Risk Scores
Base Score
6.9

The vulnerability requires local access to the device to be exploited. It is difficult for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability and may require special conditions. An attacker does not need any special privileges or access rights. The attacker needs the user to perform some action, like clicking a link. The vulnerability can affect other systems as well, not just the initial system. There is a low impact on the confidentiality of the information. There is a high impact on the integrity of the data. There is a low impact on the availability of the system.

Threat Intelligence
6.3

Exploitation attempts have been detected. Elevated vigilance and prompt remediation are advised.

EPSS
0.26%

The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.

Exploit
Not available

We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.

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