---
title: "CVE-2026-44848: Portainer missing authorization on Docker plugin endpoints, which allows host RCE"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-44848/
description: "CVE-2026-44848 (github.com/portainer/portainer (Go)): Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-05-28
date_modified: 2026-06-09
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-44848"
kev: false
cvss: 9.4
epss: 0.00446
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-44848: Portainer missing authorization on Docker plugin endpoints, which allows host RCE

**Signal:** Critical, preconditions apply. Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.4% , percentile 38: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 38% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) >= 2.33.0, < 2.33.8, fixed in 2.33.8 ; github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) >= 2.39.0, < 2.39.2, fixed in 2.39.2 ; github.com/portainer/portainer (Go) >= 2.40.0, < 2.41.0, fixed in 2.41.0 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. From 2.33.0 to before 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0, The Docker plugin management endpoints (/plugins/) were not registered with a handler, so standard users with endpoint access could call privileged plugin operations — including installing and enabling plugins — directly against the underlying Docker daemon. The vulnerability is exposed when a non-admin Portainer user (Standard User role, or any role granted endpoint-level access) has been given access to a Docker endpoint via Portainer RBAC. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.33.8, 2.39.2, and 2.41.0.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/portainer/portainer` >= 2.33.0, < 2.33.8 → fixed: 2.33.8
- Go `github.com/portainer/portainer` >= 2.39.0, < 2.39.2 → fixed: 2.39.2
- Go `github.com/portainer/portainer` >= 2.40.0, < 2.41.0 → fixed: 2.41.0

## Affected products (CVE record)

- portainer portainer: >= 2.33.0, < 2.33.8, >= 2.39.0, < 2.39.2, >= 2.40.0, < 2.41.0

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 4.0: 9.4 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.4 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.45% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 38.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-rrmm-9v76-h3p4](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rrmm-9v76-h3p4)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-44848](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44848)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-44848](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44848)
- [github.com](https://github.com/portainer/portainer/security/advisories/GHSA-rrmm-9v76-h3p4)
- [github.com](https://github.com/portainer/portainer/releases/tag/2.33.8)
- [github.com](https://github.com/portainer/portainer/releases/tag/2.39.2)
- [github.com](https://github.com/portainer/portainer/releases/tag/2.41.0)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-44848/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt