How severe is CVE-2026-53489?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-53489 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-53489?

CVE-2026-53489 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-2026-53489?

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-2026-53489 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-53489 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-2026-53489 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-2026-53489 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-53489 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-2026-53489?

CVE-2026-53489 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.2%, placing it in the 6th 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-2026-53489?

CVE-2026-53489 is classified as CWE-61 (CWE-61). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2026-53489 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-53489 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-2026-53489 — v2

CVE-2026-53489 is a CWE-61 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: Arbitrary host CRI log file read via symlink following in CRI checkpoint restore

Also known asGHSA-rgh6-rfwx-v388GO-2026-5622

Published

Jul 1, 2026

Updated

Aug 12, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 29, 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-2026-53489.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs6th percentile — riskier than 6% 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

A bug was found in containerd where the CRI plugin restores container.log from a checkpoint image without validating a symlinked path. This could result in reading an arbitrary file on the host via kubectl logs.

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

Ensure that only trusted images and checkpoints are used.

Credits

The containerd project would like to thank @gouldnicholas and @davidrxchester, Yuming Zhang and Song Li of Zhejiang University, Sangwon Ryu (@sangwon090), Henry Beberman (@hbeberman) of Microsoft, the GKE Security Team using Gemini, Anthropic Research, in collaboration with Claude, Robert Prast (@robertprast), Kyle Elliott (@kyle-elliott-tob) of Trail of Bits, and Zhenchen Wang (@Plucky923), 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-2026-53489 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 HatImportant

This vulnerability is not exploitable in several Red Hat products listed in the affect table. These products use CRI-O as the container runtime rather than containerd. Although some shipped images include the containerd Go module (primarily v1.x, and in a few cases containerd v2.x API client libraries) as a build-time…

Workaround published by Red Hat

For Red Hat OpenShift and layered products, CRI-O is the supported container runtime, so the vulnerable containerd CRI checkpoint-restore code path is not exercised during normal cluster operation. Customers should nevertheless apply Red Hat product errata as they become available to receive updates for affected operator, must-gather and tooling images that may bundle the containerd Go module. If containerd is deployed as the container runtime with CRI checkpoint/restore enabled, disable checkpoint/restore functionality until a fixed version of containerd can be applied.

Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-53489 (CC BY 4.0)

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Hardened Images	`trivy-main-0.69.3-1.2.hum1`	RHSA-2026:15862
Red Hat Hardened Images	`grype-main-0.115.0-0.1.hum1`	RHSA-2026:32963
Red Hat Hardened Images	`syft-main-1.46.0-0.1.hum1`	RHSA-2026:32974
Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4.19	`odf4/cephcsi-rhel9:1786701839`	RHSA-2026:56366
Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4.20	`odf4/cephcsi-rhel9:1786627460`	RHSA-2026:57013

Frequently Asked Questions

### Impact A bug was found in containerd where the CRI plugin restores `container.log` from a checkpoint image without validating a symlinked path. This could result in reading an arbitrary file on the host via `kubectl logs`. ### 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 Ensure that only trusted images and checkpoints are used. ### Credits The containerd project would like to thank @gouldnicholas and @davidrxchester, Yuming Zhang and Song Li of Zhejiang Universi

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