CVE-2026-45663: Dokploy Command Injection RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-45663 Overview

CVE-2026-45663 is a command injection vulnerability in Dokploy, a self-hostable Platform as a Service (PaaS). The flaw affects version 0.29.1 and earlier. The Docker file upload functionality fails to sanitize the destinationPath parameter before interpolating it into a shell command. An authenticated user can supply shell metacharacters such as ; or " to escape the intended docker cp command. Successful exploitation grants arbitrary operating system command execution on the Dokploy host.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on the Dokploy host, leading to full host compromise across containers managed by the platform.

Affected Products

• Dokploy 0.29.1
• Dokploy versions prior to 0.29.1
• Self-hosted Dokploy PaaS deployments

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-05-29 - CVE-2026-45663 published to NVD
• 2026-05-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-45663

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Docker file upload feature of Dokploy. The application accepts a destinationPath parameter from authenticated users when uploading files into a container. The server-side handler concatenates this parameter directly into a shell command string used to invoke docker cp. No escaping, quoting validation, or allow-list filtering is applied. Shell metacharacters in the parameter break out of the intended command boundary. The injected payload then executes under the privileges of the Dokploy process, which typically holds Docker socket access. Because Dokploy orchestrates containers, host-level command execution can pivot to all managed workloads and secrets.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in a command [CWE-77]. User-controlled input flows into a shell string without parameterization. Safe alternatives such as execFile style invocation, argument arrays, or strict path validation are not applied to destinationPath.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the Dokploy web interface and valid authentication. The attacker submits a file upload request with a crafted destinationPath containing shell metacharacters. The injected segment executes alongside the legitimate docker cp invocation. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own request. Refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-9m66-74x3-5mwr for vendor-confirmed technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-45663

Indicators of Compromise

• Dokploy HTTP request logs containing destinationPath values with ;, &&, |, backticks, or $( sequences
• Child processes spawned by the Dokploy service that are not docker cp, particularly shells such as /bin/sh -c or bash
• Unexpected outbound network connections originating from the Dokploy host shortly after file upload requests

Detection Strategies

• Inspect application logs for malformed or suspicious destinationPath values submitted to the file upload endpoint
• Monitor process ancestry on the Dokploy host for shell invocations whose parent is the Dokploy Node.js runtime
• Apply web application firewall rules that flag shell metacharacters in JSON fields associated with Dokploy upload routes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward Dokploy host process and authentication logs to a centralized analytics pipeline
• Alert on new cron jobs, SSH keys, or systemd units created by the Dokploy service account
• Track Docker socket usage patterns and flag command invocations that deviate from baseline orchestration activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-45663

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Dokploy to a fixed release published after 0.29.1 as referenced in the GitHub Security Advisory
• Restrict access to the Dokploy administrative interface using network controls and VPN-only exposure
• Audit existing user accounts and revoke credentials for users who do not require container management privileges
• Review host audit logs for indicators of prior exploitation, including new processes spawned by the Dokploy service

Patch Information

The Dokploy maintainers published advisory GHSA-9m66-74x3-5mwr describing the vulnerability and the corrective release. Administrators should consult the GitHub Security Advisory for the patched version number and upgrade instructions.

Workarounds

• Disable the Docker file upload feature until the upgrade is applied
• Limit Dokploy user accounts to trusted administrators only
• Place the Dokploy host behind a reverse proxy that rejects requests containing shell metacharacters in JSON payloads

# Configuration example: restrict Dokploy access at the reverse proxy layer
location /api/docker/upload {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
    proxy_pass http://dokploy_backend;
}