How severe is CVE-2026-50195?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-50195 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-50195?

CVE-2026-50195 affects the following packages: github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go), github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go), github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 (Go). Ecosystems affected: Go.

How do I fix CVE-2026-50195?

Update github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 to 2.1.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-50195 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-50195 in my Go dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/containerd/containerd/v2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-50195 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2026-50195 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-50195 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-50195?

CVE-2026-50195 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.3%, placing it in the 21th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-50195?

CVE-2026-50195 is classified as CWE-345 (CWE-345), CWE-829 (CWE-829). These weakness types describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2026-50195 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-50195 was published on July 1, 2026 and was last updated on August 12, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐹 Go

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2026-50195 — v2

CVE-2026-50195 is a CWE-345 vulnerability in github.com/containerd/containerd/v2. A fix is available for github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.

containerd: CRI checkpoint import allows local image tag poisoning

Also known asGHSA-cvxm-645q-p574GO-2026-5338

Published

Jul 1, 2026

Updated

Aug 12, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 30, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-50195.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs21th percentile — riskier than 21% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Real-World Exposure

3 pkgs affected

🐹github.com/containerd/containerd/v2🐹github.com/containerd/containerd/v2🐹github.com/containerd/containerd/v2

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Impact

containerd's CRI checkpoint import process contains a vulnerability where it fails to validate the image references specified within a checkpoint image's configuration. An attacker with permissions to create pods can use a crafted checkpoint image to force containerd to pull a malicious image and assign it an arbitrary local tag, thereby poisoning the node's local image cache. Subsequently, if other pods on the same node attempt to use the poisoned tag with an IfNotPresent (or Never) pull policy, they will unknowingly execute the attacker's malicious image instead of the legitimate one. This can lead to a compromise of the affected pods, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code under the victim pod's identity.

Patches

This bug has been fixed in the following containerd versions:

2.3.2
2.2.5
2.1.9

Users should update to these versions to resolve the issue.

Workarounds

Users should only allow trusted images to be pulled.

Credits

The containerd project would like to thank Henry Beberman (@hbeberman) of Microsoft, the GKE Security Team using Gemini, Anthropic Research, in collaboration with Claude, and Robert Prast (@robertprast) who independently discovered and responsibly disclosed this issue in accordance with the containerd security policy.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Open an issue in containerd
Email us at [email protected]

To report a security issue in containerd:

Report a new vulnerability
Email us at [email protected]

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐹Go	`github.com/containerd/containerd/v2`	≥ 2.1.0&&< 2.1.9	2.1.9`go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.1.9`
🐹Go	`github.com/containerd/containerd/v2`	≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.5	2.2.5`go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.2.5`
🐹Go	`github.com/containerd/containerd/v2`	≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.2	2.3.2`go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.3.2`

Affected Products

1 product · 3 configurations

Application

containerdlinuxfoundation

≥ 2.3.0 && < 2.3.2

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/containerd/containerd/v2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 to 2.1.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-50195 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatModerate

Red Hat products include the containerd Go module (v1.x) as a library dependency. The vulnerable CRI checkpoint import functionality was introduced in containerd v2.1.0 and is not present in the v1 module shipped in Red Hat products. Additionally, Red Hat products use CRI-O as the container runtime, not containerd, so…

Workaround published by Red Hat

No mitigation is needed as the vulnerable code is not present in the containerd versions shipped in Red Hat products.

Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-50195 (CC BY 4.0)

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Hardened Images	`trivy-main-0.72.0-0.1.hum1`	RHSA-2026:35111

Frequently Asked Questions

## Impact containerd's CRI checkpoint import process contains a vulnerability where it fails to validate the image references specified within a checkpoint image's configuration. An attacker with permissions to create pods can use a crafted checkpoint image to force containerd to pull a malicious image and assign it an arbitrary local tag, thereby poisoning the node's local image cache. Subsequently, if other pods on the same node attempt to use the poisoned tag with an `IfNotPresent` (or `Never`) pull policy, they will unknowingly execute the attacker's malicious image instead of the legitima

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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