CVE-2022-38730

Local privilege escalation via TOCTOU symlink overwrite

Published Apr 27, 2023 · Updated Jan 31, 2025

File overwrite in Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6 allows local users to replace arbitrary host files through dockerBackendV2. The windowscontainers/start API accepts an attacker-controlled data-root value and accesses local-kv.db through a path that can be replaced with a symlink between validation and use. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and winning the race; overwriting a privileged file enables privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

File overwrite in Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6 allows local users to replace arbitrary host files through dockerBackendV2. The windowscontainers/start API accepts an attacker-controlled data-root value and accesses local-kv.db through a path that can be replaced with a symlink between validation and use. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and winning the race; overwriting a privileged file enables privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-38730
Published
Apr 27, 2023
Updated
Jan 31, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-59, CWE-367, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 31, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

6.3CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
6.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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