GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) vulnerability in github.com/docker/docker. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for github.com/docker/docker — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Authz zero length regression
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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 GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
github.com/docker/docker🐹github.com/docker/docker🐹github.com/docker/docker🐹github.com/docker/dockerReal-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
A security vulnerability has been detected in certain versions of Docker Engine, which could allow an attacker to bypass authorization plugins (AuthZ) under specific circumstances. The base likelihood of this being exploited is low. This advisory outlines the issue, identifies the affected versions, and provides remediation steps for impacted users.
Impact
Using a specially-crafted API request, an Engine API client could make the daemon forward the request or response to an authorization plugin without the body. In certain circumstances, the authorization plugin may allow a request which it would have otherwise denied if the body had been forwarded to it.
A security issue was discovered In 2018, where an attacker could bypass AuthZ plugins using a specially crafted API request. This could lead to unauthorized actions, including privilege escalation. Although this issue was fixed in Docker Engine v18.09.1 in January 2019, the fix was not carried forward to later major versions, resulting in a regression. Anyone who depends on authorization plugins that introspect the request and/or response body to make access control decisions is potentially impacted.
Docker EE v19.03.x and all versions of Mirantis Container Runtime are not vulnerable.
Vulnerability details
- AuthZ bypass and privilege escalation: An attacker could exploit a bypass using an API request with Content-Length set to 0, causing the Docker daemon to forward the request without the body to the AuthZ plugin, which might approve the request incorrectly.
- Initial fix: The issue was fixed in Docker Engine v18.09.1 January 2019..
- Regression: The fix was not included in Docker Engine v19.03 or newer versions. This was identified in April 2024 and patches were released for the affected versions on July 23, 2024. The issue was assigned CVE-2024-41110.
Patches
- docker-ce v27.1.1 containes patches to fix the vulnerability.
- Patches have also been merged into the master, 19.0, 20.0, 23.0, 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, and 26.1 release branches.
Remediation steps
- If you are running an affected version, update to the most recent patched version.
- Mitigation if unable to update immediately:
- Avoid using AuthZ plugins.
- Restrict access to the Docker API to trusted parties, following the principle of least privilege.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/docker/docker | ≥ 19.03.0&&< 23.0.15 | 23.0.15go get github.com/docker/docker@v23.0.15 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/docker/docker | ≥ 26.0.0&&< 26.1.5 | 26.1.5go get github.com/docker/docker@v26.1.5 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/docker/docker | ≥ 27.0.0&&< 27.1.1 | 27.1.1go get github.com/docker/docker@v27.1.1 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/docker/docker | ≥ 24.0.0&&< 25.0.6 | 25.0.6go get github.com/docker/docker@v25.0.6 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/docker/docker, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/docker/docker to 23.0.15 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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.
This flaw is a regression of a fix from a 2019 issue for this same scenario, which was not carried forward. Anyone who depends on authorization plugins that introspect the request or response body to make access control decisions may be impacted. Red Hat does not ship AuthZ plugin in any of the current container tools…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| cert-manager operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.14 | cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-rhel9:v1.14.7-1743759417 | RHSA-2025:3714 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-v23v-6jw2-98fq across Go dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.