---
title: "CVE-2026-94603: Podman: The `podman run` command can be instructed to disable almost all sandboxing by image annotation"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-94603/
description: "CVE-2026-94603 (github.com/containers/podman (Go)): Podman is a tool for managing OCI containers and pods. From 4.4.0 until 5.8.8 and 6.1.3, podman run…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-10-13
date_modified: 2026-10-21
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-94603"
kev: false
cvss: 10
epss: 0.00918
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-94603: Podman: The `podman run` command can be instructed to disable almost all sandboxing by image annotation

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.9% , percentile 60: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 60% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes github.com/containers/podman (Go) >= 4.4.0, < 5.8.8, fixed in 5.8.8 ; go.podman.io/podman/v6 (Go) >= 6.0.0, < 6.1.3, fixed in 6.1.3 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
- Editorial verdict: Check exposure. Podman CVE-2026-94603: Images Can Disable the Sandbox — If you run third-party images with rootful Podman, upgrade to 5.8.8 or 6.1.3 now, because an image can switch off the sandbox you asked for; rootless Podman and trusted-image-only hosts can patch on a normal cycle.

## What it is

Podman is a tool for managing OCI containers and pods. From 4.4.0 until 5.8.8 and 6.1.3, podman run treats an image carrying the io.podman.annotations.checkpoint.runtime.name annotation as a checkpoint and silently ignores user-supplied container creation restrictions such as --cap-drop=ALL, allowing image-controlled checkpoint state to select weaker sandbox settings and capabilities. Rootless containers are not affected because checkpoint and restore are unavailable in that mode. This issue is fixed in versions 5.8.8 and 6.1.3.

## Affected packages

- Go `github.com/containers/podman` >= 4.4.0, < 5.8.8 → fixed: 5.8.8
- Go `go.podman.io/podman/v6` >= 6.0.0, < 6.1.3 → fixed: 6.1.3

## Affected products (CVE record)

- podman-container-tools podman: >= 4.4.0, < 5.8.8, >= 6.0.0, < 6.1.3

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 10 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 10.0 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.92% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 60.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-2cvf-wqm6-wr9g](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-2cvf-wqm6-wr9g)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-94603](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-94603)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-94603](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94603)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/security/advisories/GHSA-2cvf-wqm6-wr9g)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/24706290d5c974f078d8ca284026802515f28e92)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/3721ff82ffb44a4ceeaecc5abd3808e924a6b669)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/450c64426dbcff1097d3c7911d791101e3d16f4c)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/7728ba0a90094408ad9078e36c3622a651d49616)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/c74b1d37b3fb834b0de43e176565d9d8c254b627)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/commit/ea9243e04d1db3886dc3a51ee3300ffb547cfc02)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/releases/tag/v5.8.8)
- [github.com](https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman/releases/tag/v6.1.3)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-94603/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt