What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-15558?

CVE-2025-15558 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.0 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

Which versions of Windows are affected by CVE-2025-15558?

Docker CLI for Windows contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by placing malicious plugin binaries in a system…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2025-15558?

Within 24 hours: Inventory all Windows systems running Docker CLI and assess exposure in your environment. Within 7 days: Apply the available vendor patch to all affected Docker installations and verify successful deployment. Within 30 days: Conduct post-patch validation testing and implement application whitelisting controls for the Docker plugin directory to prevent unauthorized binary execution.

Windows CVE-2025-15558

HIGH

Uncontrolled Search Path Element (CWE-427)

2026-03-04 security@docker.com

GHSA-p436-gjf2-799p

Windows Docker Github Red Hat Command Line Interface Suse

8.0

CVSS 3.1

CVSS VectorNVD

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

Required

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Mar 12, 2026 - 22:05 vuln.today

Patch released

Mar 09, 2026 - 17:38 nvd

Patch available

CVE Published

Mar 04, 2026 - 17:16 nvd

HIGH 8.0

DescriptionNVD

Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the docker CLI is executed as a privileged user.

This issue affects Docker CLI: through 29.1.5 and Windows binaries acting as a CLI-plugin manager using the github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/manager https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/docker/cli@v29.1.5+incompatible/cli-plugins/manager package, such as Docker Compose.

This issue does not impact non-Windows binaries, and projects not using the plugin-manager code.

AnalysisAI

Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. [CVSS 8.0 HIGH]

Technical ContextAI

Classified as CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element). Affects Command Line Interface. Docker CLI for Windows searches for plugin binaries in C:\ProgramData\Docker\cli-plugins, a directory that does not exist by default. A low-privileged attacker can create this directory and place malicious CLI plugin binaries (docker-compose.exe, docker-buildx.exe, etc.) that are executed when a victim user opens Docker Desktop or invokes Docker CLI plugin features, and allow privilege-escalation if the docker CLI is executed as a privileged user.

This issue affects Docker CLI: through 29.1.5 a