Docker: Race condition in docker cp allows creation of arbitrary empty files on the host via symlink swap

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

6.1 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2026-41568: 0.11% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 1.20 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary A race condition during docker cp mount setup allows a malicious container to create empty files or directories at arbitrary absolute paths on the host filesystem. This advisory covers the race during mountpoint creation. The related race during the subsequent mount syscall is tracked in GHSA-rg2x-37c3-w2rh Details When copying files into a container, the daemon sets up a temporary filesystem view by bind-mounting volumes into a private mount namespace. During this setup, the mount destination path is first resolved within the container's root filesystem using GetResourcePath, and then used to create the mountpoint (file or directory) if it does not already exist via createIfNotExists. Between path resolution and mountpoint creation, a process running inside the container can swap a path component for a symlink pointing to an arbitrary location on the host. Because createIfNotExists operates on the already-resolved absolute path using standard os.MkdirAll and os.OpenFile —…

Published by the source

18 May 2026, 17:52 UTC

Last modified by the source

12 Jun 2026, 21:59 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:23 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-vp62-88p7-qqf5

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-41568

Advisory: Docker: Race condition in docker cp allows creation of arbitrary empty files on the host via symlink swap
IDs: CVE-2026-41568, GHSA-vp62-88p7-qqf5
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-41568 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:23 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.1)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Partial vendor fix; fixed versions by package: github.com/moby/moby/v2 2.0.0-beta.14. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/moby/moby/v2: affected < 2.0.0-beta.14; fixed in 2.0.0-beta.14
- Go github.com/docker/docker: affected <= 28.5.2
- Go github.com/moby/moby: affected <= 28.5.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/moby/moby/v2: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/docker/docker: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Go github.com/moby/moby: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/moby/moby/v2, github.com/docker/docker, github.com/moby/moby.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vp62-88p7-qqf5 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vp62-88p7-qqf5 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/docker/docker >=0 =0 =0 <=28.5.2)

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