CVE-2026-53492: containerd is an open-source container runtime. In Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9, the CRI implementation improperly trusts Container Device Interface (CDI) annotations f

criticalCVSS 9.6CVE-2026-53492

containerd is an open-source container runtime. In Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9, the CRI implementation improperly trusts Container Device Interface (CDI) annotations found within untrusted checkpoint image metadata during container restoration. When restoring a container from a checkpoint, containerd preserves CDI-related annotations from the checkpoint archive rather than relying solely on the pod's create-time specification. This allows a user with pod creation permissions to bypass standard Kubernetes resource allocation and device plugin enforcement, injecting arbitrary CDI edits (such as device nodes and host mounts) into the restored container. Successful exploitation requires that the node has CDI enabled and contains a matching host CDI specification for the requested device; environments where CDI is disabled or lacking sensitive device specifications are not affected. This issue has been fixed in versions 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9.

Details

Source: NVD Recent CVEs (US · database · site)
Severity: critical — CVSS 9.6
Published: 2026-07-01
Last updated: 2026-07-02
Exploitation: Not in CISA KEV at last sync

Original advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53492

Exploitation outlook

EPSS (FIRST.org) estimates each CVE’s probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — here is the CSIRTS.com read on those numbers.

Low exploitation riskCVE-2026-534920.41% 30-day exploitation probability — currently an unlikely target, but scores change as exploit code circulates. Riskier than 33% of all scored CVEs.

Referenced CVEs

CVE	CSIRTS overview	External
CVE-2026-53492	coverage & exploitation status	NVD · CVE.org

Same CVEs, other sources

How other CERTs, PSIRTs and databases cover the vulnerabilities in this advisory.

Recent advisories for containerd is an

A cluster of recent advisories against the same product widens the attack surface — attackers routinely chain freshly published CVEs on one product, so review these together.

highCVE-2026-53657: Lima launches Linux virtual machines, typically on macOS, for running containerd. Prior to 2.1…nvd · 2026-07-10
high[UPDATE] [high] Google Cloud Platform (GKE containerd): Multiple vulnerabilitiescert-bund · 2026-07-10
mediumCVE-2026-53489: containerd is an open-source container runtime. Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9 conta…nvd · 2026-07-01
criticalCVE-2026-50195: containerd is an open-source container runtime. Versions prior to 2.3.2, 2.2.5 and 2.1.9 conta…nvd · 2026-07-01
mediumCVE-2026-47262: containerd is an open-source container runtime. Versions prior to 1.7.33, 2.0.10, 2.1.9, 2.2.5…nvd · 2026-07-01
highCVE-2026-46680: containerd is an open-source container runtime. In versions prior to 1.7.32, 2.0.9, 2.2.4 and …nvd · 2026-07-01