# CVE-2026-79994: Docker Sandboxes AF_UNIX socket symlink bypass

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-79994-docker-sandboxes-af-unix-socket-symlink-bypass  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-15. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-79994 · Severity: info · Published 2026-09-15

Docker Sandboxes is a feature that allows running isolated guest environments on a host system. The guest-to-host Unix socket relay, which enables controlled communication between the sandboxed guest and the host, contains a path-validation vulnerability. An attacker with guest access can exploit a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) flaw by replacing intermediate directories with symlinks after validation, allowing arbitrary socket connections outside the authorized workspace and potentially exposing sensitive host data or capabilities.

Technologies: [Docker Sandboxes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/sandboxes). Vendors: [Docker](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/docker).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-79994 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-79994 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-79994?** Informational severity, published 15 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Docker Sandboxes.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-79994?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-79994 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-79994?** Check whether you run Docker Sandboxes. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a time-of-check-time-of-use (TOCTOU) flaw in the guest-to-host Unix-domain socket relay. The vulnerable component validates that a socket path resides within an authorized workspace, but then uses the original pathname to establish the connection without re-validating. A malicious guest can replace an intermediate directory component with a symlink between the validation step and the actual connection, causing the host to connect to an arbitrary AF_UNIX socket outside the shared workspace. This allows exposure of data or host-side capabilities bound to targeted sockets. The vulnerability requires guest-level access to trigger, and the attack is path-based rather than network-based. A patch should implement atomic path resolution or re-validation at connection time.

## Affected products

- Docker Sandboxes

## Timeline

- 2026-09-15: disclosed

## References

- [https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/)
- [https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/security/isolation/](https://docs.docker.com/ai/sandboxes/security/isolation/)

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- [Docker Sandboxes virtio-fs symlink escape on macOS](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-77179-docker-sandboxes-virtio-fs-symlink-escape-on-macos)