A new vulnerability in Docker Desktop 's Registry Access Management (RAM) feature leaves macOS users vulnerable to unauthorized container image downloads, undermining critical container security mechanisms.
See also: New Docker 1-Click RCE attack exploits API misconfigurations
The vulnerability, reported as CVE-2025-4095 , allows developers to bypass administrator-imposed access restrictions to image registries , potentially exposing organizations to malicious container images or unapproved software dependencies. RAM is designed to restrict container image downloads to only pre-defined registries, such as Docker Hub , Amazon ECR , or private repositories. Through DNS-level blocking, RAM prevents access to untrusted sources, making it a key component of software supply chain security.
However, when organizations enforce login policies on macOS through configuration profiles (a common corporate deployment method), RAM policies are not properly enabled.
The vulnerability is due to a misconfiguration of the Docker Desktop policy enforcement engine. On macOS, Docker runs inside a Hyperkit virtual machine , with RAM policies being applied at the daemon level after user authentication.
See also: Hackers exploit Docker Servers API for Crypto Mining attacks
Configuration profiles—XML or mobileconfig used to automate settings—incorrectly prioritize login enforcement over enabling RAM policies.
This causes a race condition, in which the Docker daemon starts before the RAM policies are loaded, leaving the registers unchecked until the next system reboot.
Affected versions include Docker Desktop 4.36.0 through 4.40.x for macOS. The CVSS score for v4.0 is 4.3 (Moderate), however this underestimates the operational risk as attackers can exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious images into software development pipelines.
See also: Docker fixes critical vulnerability in Docker Engine
Related to the above is the importance of “secure-by-design” in deployment platforms like Docker. When security mechanisms like Registry Access Management (RAM) are not properly enabled or can be bypassed due to conditions like race conditions, trust is undermined throughout the software supply chain. This is especially critical in CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) environments, where even a single import of an unapproved or malicious container image can quickly propagate to production systems, with serious security and compliance implications.
Source: cybersecuritynews
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