Skip to main content
HIGH

CVE-2026-46680

CVSS v3

7.8

HIGH

EPSS Score

0.2 %

exploit probability, as of 2026-10-19

CISA KEV

No

known exploited

Exploitation

—

SSVC status

Get an alert for each new CVE published for containerd/containerd.

Set up CVE WatchFree account · no credit card

Affected and fixed versions

Packages from OSV.dev and products from the vendors' CSAF advisories.

version not verifiedVersions not verified: read as OSV.dev and the vendors publish them, not checked against each vendor's release list.

Packages

  • github.com/containerd/containerdGofrom 1.7.27 · fixed in 1.7.32
  • github.com/containerd/containerd/v2Gofrom 2.0.4 · fixed in 2.0.9

Vendor advisories

  • CVE-2026-46680 Red Hat Product Security3 products fixed

    github.com/containerd/containerd: containerd: Privilege escalation via incorrect user ID handling

  • RHSA-2026:35111 Red Hat Product Security3 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update

Full record on NVD

Description

containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username, leading to runAsNonRoot evasion. If a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd file mapping this large numeric string to root, the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This allows the Kubernetes runAsNonRoot restriction to be bypassed, causing unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1.

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Published
2026-07-01
Last Modified
2026-07-03

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-46680?

containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1, containers launched with a numeric User directive that cannot be parsed as a 32-bit integer are incorrectly treated as a username, leading to runAsNonRoot evasion. If a crafted image provides an /etc/passwd file mapping this large numeric string to root, the container ultimately runs as root (UID 0). This allows the Kubernetes runAsNonRoot restriction to be bypassed, causing unexpected behavior for environments that require containers to run as a non-root user. This issue has been fixed in versions 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and 2.3.1.

Is CVE-2026-46680 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2026-46680 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 0.2% on 2026-10-19, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-46680?

CVE-2026-46680 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (HIGH severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Running containerd/containerd? Hear about its next vulnerability

CVE Watch matches each new CVE to the vendors and products you list (vendor and product, not the version) and puts it in your alerts with its KEV and EPSS status.

Already have an account? Open CVE WatchNo credit card required · No monthly cap on website lookups · 250 API requests/month