CVE-2026-105445 Overview
CVE-2026-105445 is an Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability [CWE-266] in Docker Hub's account-to-organization conversion feature. The flaw allowed an authenticated attacker to reassign a Personal Access Token (PAT) they controlled to another Docker Hub user without rotating or revoking the token secret. The unchanged PAT then authenticated to the registry under the recipient's identity. An attacker could pull, push, or delete images within the token's scopes across any repository accessible to the targeted user, including organization repositories.
Critical Impact
An attacker retains a valid PAT secret that silently authenticates as another Docker Hub user, enabling unauthorized access to private and organization-owned container images.
Affected Products
- Docker Hub account-to-organization conversion feature
- Docker Hub Personal Access Token (PAT) authentication flow
- Docker Hub registry access for converted accounts
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-10-13 - CVE-2026-105445 published to NVD
- 2026-10-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-105445
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Docker Hub's workflow for converting a personal user account into an organization. During conversion, ownership of the account is transferred, but PAT secrets attached to the original account are not rotated or revoked. The token therefore persists with its original secret value while authenticating as a different principal after the conversion completes.
An attacker who creates a PAT on an account they control and then triggers conversion causes that PAT to bind to the recipient user. The registry treats requests signed with the token as actions performed by the recipient. Authorization checks evaluate the recipient's permissions, not the original token owner's permissions, so any repository the recipient can access becomes reachable through the attacker-held secret.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing credential-lifecycle step during account conversion. Secure handling of principal transitions requires revoking or rotating all authentication secrets bound to the account before ownership changes. Docker Hub's conversion workflow preserved the PAT secret and remapped its identity binding, producing an Incorrect Privilege Assignment condition where a known secret authenticates as an unintended user.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated Docker Hub user and the ability to initiate the account-to-organization conversion flow. The attacker generates a PAT on their account, retains the token value, and completes the conversion so that the PAT becomes associated with another user. The attacker then uses the retained PAT against the Docker Hub registry API to pull private images, push malicious images, or delete repositories within the token's scopes.
Technical details are documented in the Docker Hub Security Advisory CVE-2026-105445 and the GhostPat research disclosure.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-105445
Indicators of Compromise
- Docker Hub audit entries showing account-to-organization conversions followed by PAT activity from unfamiliar source IP addresses or user agents.
- Registry pull, push, or delete events authenticated by PATs that were created prior to an account conversion event.
- Unexpected image tag changes, new image layers, or repository deletions in organization namespaces that previously had stable publishing patterns.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory all PATs across Docker Hub accounts and correlate token creation timestamps against account conversion events in the audit log.
- Alert on registry authentication events where the PAT identifier predates the current account ownership relationship.
- Baseline normal CI/CD publishing identities and flag registry writes performed by PATs that fall outside the baseline.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Docker Hub audit logs and registry access logs into a centralized analytics platform for correlation with identity events.
- Monitor for anomalous docker push, docker pull, and image delete operations against private and organization repositories.
- Track PAT usage metadata including source IP, user agent, and scope to identify tokens behaving inconsistently with their stated owner.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-105445
Immediate Actions Required
- Revoke and reissue every Personal Access Token associated with any Docker Hub account that has undergone account-to-organization conversion.
- Review Docker Hub audit logs for conversion events and validate that resulting organization membership and token inventories match expectations.
- Rotate credentials embedded in CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes image pull secrets, and build systems that reference Docker Hub PATs.
Patch Information
Docker addressed the vulnerability in the Docker Hub service. No customer-side software update is required because the fix is applied in the hosted platform. Refer to the Docker Hub Security Advisory CVE-2026-105445 and the Docker Account Conversion Guide for current guidance.
Workarounds
- Avoid using the account-to-organization conversion feature until all PATs on the source account have been revoked.
- Enforce short-lived PATs with narrowly scoped permissions to limit the impact of any residual token binding.
- Require multi-factor authentication and least-privilege repository access controls across all Docker Hub organization members.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
