High

CVE-2026-5843 — Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via MLX-LM model_file importlib loading

The MLX inference backend in Docker Model Runner on macOS uses the MLX-LM library, which unconditionally imports and executes arbitrary Python files from model directories via the model_file configuration field in config.json. When a model's config.json specifies a model_file pointing to a Python file, MLX-LM uses importlib to load and execute it with no trust_remote_code gate or equivalent safety check. The MLX backend runs without sandboxing, resulting in arbitrary code execution on the Docker host as the Docker Desktop user. Any container on the Docker network can trigger this by calling the model-runner.docker.internal API to pull a malicious model from an attacker-controlled OCI registry and request inference.

Published May 22, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Docker

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.18%

ahead of 7% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Docker

Desktop

CVSS base

8.6

High · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Docker Desktop).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Docker	Desktop	≥ 4.56.0 and < 4.71.0	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Docker	Desktop	≥ 4.56.0 and < 4.71.0	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

Required

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
8.8	CVSS 4.0	High	—	—	security@docker.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.8	CVSS 4.0	High	—	—	Docker via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
8.6	CVSS 3.1	High	1.8	6.0	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	1.5	6.0	security@docker.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Docker via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Scoring entities (NIST, CNA, ADP) score independently; each score is shown with its origin. For prioritization we use 8.6 (NVD (NIST)) as a conservative provisional reference — not a definitive official score.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-829

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.18%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · docker/docker desktop
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 8.6
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
May 22, 2026 · Docker

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/
Release Notes, release-notes, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Docker
every CVE for this vendor

CWE-829
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-106581 Docker Desktop for Windows installer failed to verify external packages 6d
High CVE-2026-17106 Tar extraction in moby/go-archive can write outside the destination directory via link following Aug 18, 2026
High CVE-2026-8936 Unbounded recursion in grpcfuse kernel module allows container to crash Docker Desktop VM Jun 2, 2026
High CVE-2026-5817 Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via unsandboxed trust_remote_code in Python inference backends May 22, 2026
High CVE-2026-6406 Docker Desktop Enhanced Container Isolation bypass via --use-api-socket CLI flag May 22, 2026
High CVE-2026-2664 Out of bounds read vulnerability in grpcfuse kernel module Feb 24, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-5843 is "Docker Model Runner container-to-host code execution via MLX-LM model_file importlib loading", rated High. It affects Desktop (Docker); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.6 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.18% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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