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[GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p] Docker CLI Plugins: Uncontrolled Search Path Element Leads to Local Privilege Escalation on Windows #7251

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[GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p] Docker CLI Plugins: Uncontrolled Search Path Element Leads to Local Privilege Escalation on Windows #7251

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4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions advisories/github-reviewed/2026/03/GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p/GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p.json
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{
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"id": "GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p",
"modified": "2026-03-05T00:10:40Z",
"modified": "2026-03-05T00:10:42Z",
"published": "2026-03-05T00:10:40Z",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-15558"
],
"summary": "Docker CLI Plugins: Uncontrolled Search Path Element Leads to Local Privilege Escalation on Windows",
"details": "This issue affects Docker CLI through 29.1.5\n\n### Impact\n\nDocker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in `C:\\ProgramData\\Docker\\cli-plugins`, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the `docker` CLI is executed as a privileged user.\n\nThis issue affects Docker CLI through v29.1.5 (fixed in v29.2.0). It impacts Windows binaries acting as a CLI plugin manager via the [`github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager) package, which is consumed by downstream projects such as Docker Compose.\n\nDocker Compose became affected starting in v2.31.0, when it incorporated the relevant CLI plugin manager code (see https://github.com/docker/compose/pull/12300), and is fixed in v5.1.0.\n\nThis issue does not impact non-Windows binaries or projects that do not use the plugin manager code.\n\n### Patches\n\nFixed version starts with 29.2.0\n\nThis issue was fixed in https://github.com/docker/cli/commit/13759330b1f7e7cb0d67047ea42c5482548ba7fa (https://github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713), which removed `%PROGRAMDATA%\\Docker\\cli-plugins` from the list of paths used for plugin-discovery on Windows.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nNone\n\n### Resources\n\n- Pull request: \"cli-plugins/manager: remove legacy system-wide cli-plugin path\" (https://github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713)\n- Patch: https://github.com/docker/cli/commit/13759330b1f7e7cb0d67047ea42c5482548ba7fa.patch\n\n### Credits\n\nNitesh Surana (niteshsurana.com) of Trend Research of TrendAI",
"details": "This issue affects Docker CLI through 29.1.5\n\n### Impact\n\nDocker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in `C:\\ProgramData\\Docker\\cli-plugins`, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the `docker` CLI is executed as a privileged user.\n\nThis issue affects Docker CLI through v29.1.5 (fixed in v29.2.0). It impacts Windows binaries acting as a CLI plugin manager via the [`github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager`](https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager) package, which is consumed by downstream projects such as Docker Compose.\n\nDocker Compose became affected starting in v2.31.0, when it incorporated the relevant CLI plugin manager code (see https://github.com/docker/compose/pull/12300), and is fixed in v5.1.0.\n\nThis issue does not impact non-Windows binaries or projects that do not use the plugin manager code.\n\n### Patches\n\nFixed version starts with 29.2.0\n\nThis issue was fixed in https://github.com/docker/cli/commit/13759330b1f7e7cb0d67047ea42c5482548ba7fa (https://github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713), which removed `%PROGRAMDATA%\\Docker\\cli-plugins` from the list of paths used for plugin-discovery on Windows.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nAdmins can create the %PROGRAMDATA%\\Docker\\cli-plugins directory, enforce read-only permissions. However, upgrading to the fixed version is the real solution.\n\n### Resources\n\n- Pull request: \"cli-plugins/manager: remove legacy system-wide cli-plugin path\" (https://github.com/docker/cli/pull/6713)\n- Patch: https://github.com/docker/cli/commit/13759330b1f7e7cb0d67047ea42c5482548ba7fa.patch\n\n### Credits\n\nNitesh Surana (niteshsurana.com) of Trend Research of TrendAI",
"severity": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V4",
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