dokku Flaw (CVE-2026-86002) Rated CVSS 9
A newly published critical vulnerability in dokku carries a CVSS score of 9. Here is what is affected and how to respond.
Key points
- CVE-2026-86002 affects dokku.
- CVSS 9 (Critical).
- No exploitation confirmed yet.
A critical security flaw tracked as CVE-2026-86002 has been published in the National Vulnerability Database for dokku, with a CVSS base score of 9.
At a glance
- CVE
- CVE-2026-86002
- Product
- dokku
- CVSS
- 9 Critical
- Weakness
- CWE-95
- Exploited
- No known exploitation
What is the vulnerability?
The NVD entry states: Dokku is a docker-powered platform as a service. In Dokku versions before 0.38.25, a user with app-level Dokku access and remote SSH access to execute docker-options commands can store arbitrary strings through the docker-options plugin, and those strings are later concatenated into DOCKER_ARGS and processed by Bash eval during build, deploy, or run operations. Shell command substitutions in the stored values are interpreted on the host, allowing arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the dokku operating-system user. This issue is fixed in version 0.38.25.
Affected versions
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Dokku | dokku | < 0.38.25 |
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Is it being exploited?
There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication. It does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. We will update this report if that changes.
What should you do?
- Identify whether the affected product and versions run in your environment.
- Apply the vendor update listed in the advisory as soon as it is available.
- Limit network exposure of the affected service until it is patched.
- Monitor the vendor advisory for updated guidance or exploitation reports.
What to do and how to stay safe: CVE-2026-86002
- Vulnerability severity scores ignore your specific architecture and context.
- Exploitability depends on network exposure and user behavior, not just code flaws.
- Prioritization requires continuous asset inventory and threat intelligence alignment.
Risk-based vulnerability management focuses your limited resources on the flaws that actually threaten your business. Start by mapping your critical assets and checking for active exploits to prioritize your backlog.
Step-by-step guide: Risk-Based Vulnerability Management: Prioritize Fixes by Actual Danger
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2026-86002?
CVE-2026-86002 is a CWE-95 vulnerability in dokku.
How severe is CVE-2026-86002?
It has a CVSS score of 9 Critical.
Is CVE-2026-86002 being exploited?
There is no public confirmation of exploitation at the time of publication.
