CVE-2025-4095: Docker Desktop Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-4095 Overview

CVE-2025-4095 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting Docker Desktop's Registry Access Management (RAM) feature on MacOS. RAM is a security feature that allows administrators to restrict their developers to only approved container registries. When a MacOS configuration profile is used to enforce organization sign-in, the RAM policies fail to be applied, allowing Docker Desktop users to pull unapproved and potentially malicious container images from any registry.

Critical Impact

Organizations relying on MacOS configuration profiles to enforce Docker Desktop sign-in may have their registry restriction policies completely bypassed, exposing development environments to supply chain attacks through malicious container images.

Affected Products

• Docker Desktop for MacOS (when using configuration profiles for organization sign-in enforcement)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-29 - CVE-2025-4095 published to NVD
• 2025-05-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-4095

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a Missing Authorization flaw in Docker Desktop's security control enforcement mechanism on MacOS. Registry Access Management is designed as an enterprise security control that restricts which container registries developers can access, preventing the introduction of untrusted or malicious container images into the development pipeline. The vulnerability stems from an implementation gap where the RAM policy enforcement fails when organization sign-in is managed through MacOS configuration profiles rather than other sign-in enforcement methods.

The local attack vector requires an authenticated user on the affected MacOS system, and the primary security impact is to the integrity of downstream systems through the ability to pull unauthorized container images. This represents a significant supply chain security concern for organizations that depend on RAM policies to maintain container image provenance.

Root Cause

The root cause is a Missing Authorization check (CWE-862) in Docker Desktop's policy enforcement logic. When MacOS configuration profiles are used to enforce organization sign-in, the code path that applies RAM policies is not triggered, resulting in a complete bypass of registry access restrictions. This indicates a failure to properly integrate the policy enforcement mechanism with all supported authentication and sign-in enforcement methods on the MacOS platform.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to a MacOS system running Docker Desktop where organization sign-in is enforced via a MacOS configuration profile. An authenticated user can leverage this policy enforcement gap to:

1. Access any Docker registry regardless of configured RAM restrictions
2. Pull container images from unapproved or untrusted sources
3. Potentially introduce malicious or vulnerable container images into the development environment
4. Bypass organizational security controls designed to prevent supply chain attacks

The attack does not require elevated privileges beyond standard Docker Desktop user permissions. The vulnerability enables circumvention of administrative security policies without any special technical knowledge beyond understanding that the restriction is not being enforced.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4095

Indicators of Compromise

• Docker pull operations from registries not on the organization's approved list
• Container images present on developer machines from unauthorized sources
• Discrepancies between expected RAM policy enforcement and actual registry access patterns
• Audit logs showing connections to registries outside the approved organizational allowlist

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Docker Desktop activity logs for registry access patterns that violate expected RAM policies
• Implement network-level monitoring to detect connections to unauthorized container registries
• Compare container image sources against the organization's approved registry list
• Deploy endpoint detection to identify Docker commands accessing non-approved registries

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for Docker Desktop operations on MacOS endpoints
• Implement alerting for container image pulls from registries outside the approved list
• Review MacOS configuration profile deployments to identify systems using this enforcement method
• Audit container image inventories for images sourced from unauthorized registries

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4095

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all MacOS systems using configuration profiles to enforce Docker Desktop organization sign-in
• Consider alternative sign-in enforcement methods until a patch is available
• Implement network-level registry restrictions as a compensating control
• Audit recent container image pulls on affected systems for unauthorized sources

Patch Information

Refer to the Docker Registry Access Management Guide for the latest security updates and patching guidance from Docker. Organizations should monitor Docker's security advisories for updates addressing this specific configuration profile enforcement issue.

Workarounds

• Implement network firewall rules to block access to unauthorized container registries at the network perimeter
• Use alternative sign-in enforcement methods that properly enforce RAM policies
• Deploy container image scanning solutions to detect and block unauthorized images
• Consider temporarily switching from MacOS configuration profile-based sign-in enforcement to other supported methods