CVE-2026-95837: containerd CRI Plugin Vulnerability Allows Elevated Privileges via Checkpoint Restore
Summary
CVE-2026-95837: containerd CRI plugin: Checkpoint restore bypasses destination security context. Affects github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 across 2 version ranges.
>= 2.1.0, < 2.2.7
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4
Fixed in 2.2.7 or 2.3.4, depending on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
The same CVE-2026-95837 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
containerd is an industry-standard core container runtime that manages the complete container lifecycle, including image transfer, storage, and execution. It is widely used in cloud-native environments and supports various container orchestration systems. The vulnerability in question arises from its CRI (Container Runtime Interface) implementation, specifically in the checkpoint restore functionality, which can be exploited if not properly secured.
Vulnerability Detail
A vulnerability in containerd's CRI implementation allows a container restored from an untrusted checkpoint via the CreateContainer API to bypass the destination security context and execute with elevated privileges. This occurs because CRIU (Checkpoint/Restore in Userspace) restores process credentials, Linux capabilities, and seccomp state directly from checkpoint data, ignoring the destination CRI ContainerConfig. An attacker can exploit this by running a container with a crafted checkpoint image, gaining root access and full capabilities, while security policies requested by the orchestrator are ignored. This issue affects Linux systems running containerd with CRI checkpoint restore enabled.
How To Fix
Latest published version: v2.4.2 as of 23 Oct 2026
go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.4.2Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the versions below are the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you can't move to the latest
The minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run.
-
>= 2.1.0, < 2.2.72.2.7go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.2.7 -
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.42.3.4go get github.com/containerd/containerd/v2@v2.3.4
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Workaround
On unpatched versions, there is no configuration option to disable checkpoint restore via CreateContainer. It is recommended to restrict container creation permissions to trusted users, validate container image registries, or use admission controllers to reject images containing checkpoint data.
Conclusion
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-95837 in containerd's CRI plugin poses significant risks by allowing unauthorized privilege escalation through untrusted checkpoint restores. Users are strongly advised to update to the latest versions to mitigate these risks and ensure the security of their containerized applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 →
FAQ
The vulnerability allows an attacker to execute processes as root with full capabilities, bypassing security policies, which can lead to unauthorized access and control over the container environment.
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Versions of containerd prior to 2.2.7 and 2.3.4 are affected. The vulnerability is completely resolved in version 2.4.0.
If immediate updating is not possible, restrict container creation permissions and validate container image registries to mitigate risks.
The CVSS score of this vulnerability is 7.8, indicating a high severity level.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for github.com/containerd/containerd/v2.
