Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Moby before 29.3.1 can accept Docker plugin privileges that differ from what a user approved during plugin installation. This can let a malicious or compromised plugin gain unexpected capabilities on a container host. The issue is high severity, but the provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize patching container hosts that allow Docker plugin installation or rely on third-party plugins. For tightly controlled environments with no plugin use, handle through normal high-severity maintenance while verifying exposure.
Technical view
An off-by-one error in the daemon's plugin privilege comparison can bypass validation during docker plugin install. Plugins requesting exactly one privilege are affected because no comparison is performed. The CVSS vector indicates network attack surface, low complexity, high privileges, required user interaction, changed scope, and high impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on hosts running Moby before 29.3.1 where Docker plugins can be installed, especially from third-party or less controlled sources. Environments that do not use Docker plugins still should verify package versions, but practical exposure appears narrower.
Exploitation context
The bundle marks KEV as false and provides no evidence of active exploitation. Abuse would require a plugin installation approval path and a privilege mismatch accepted by the daemon. Do not treat this as a generic container escape without matching plugin-install conditions.
Researcher notes
The key behavior is privilege validation bypass in daemon comparison logic, including a single-privilege edge case. Sources identify CWE-193 and CWE-266, Moby versions before 29.3.1, and patch availability in 29.3.1. Public evidence in the bundle is insufficient to claim exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Moby or Docker packages to version 29.3.1 or later.
- Apply relevant Red Hat advisories where using vendor-packaged components.
- Restrict Docker plugin installation to trusted administrators and approved sources.
- Review installed plugins and remove unnecessary or untrusted plugins.
- Monitor vendor guidance for distribution-specific fixes or backports.
Validation and detection
- Inventory hosts running Moby or Docker engine versions before 29.3.1.
- Identify systems where Docker plugins are installed or plugin installation is permitted.
- Confirm vendor package status against Red Hat or distribution advisories.
- Review change records for recent third-party Docker plugin installs.
- Verify remediation by confirming patched engine package versions.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-193: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-266: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupContainer behavior lookup
The affected technology mentions containers, so container-specific ATT&CK technique review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-33997 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
2 official scoresWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H1.76redhat-SADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N1.65.2GitHub_MVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.4HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.8MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Made public.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- ADP timelineredhat-SADP
Reported to Red Hat.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2026-03-31T03:01:29.529Z: Reported to Red Hat.
- 2026-03-31T01:36:51.404Z: Made public.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/moby/moby/security/advisories/GHSA-pxq6-2prw-chj9CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/moby/moby/releases/tag/docker-v29.3.1CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_MISC
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-33997CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2453277CVE reference, redhat-SADP · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-33997.jsonCVE reference, redhat-SADP · x_sadp-csaf-vex
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:22347CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:21769CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:23345CVE reference, redhat-SADP · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Off-by-one Error
Off-by-one Error represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Incorrect Privilege Assignment
Incorrect Privilege Assignment represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.