---
id: "CVE-2019-15752"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2019-15752"]
title: "Docker Desktop Community Edition: Docker Desktop Community Edition Privilege Escalation Vulnerability"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.48628
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "Docker Desktop Community Edition", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["docker-desktop", "exploited", "vendor", "windows"]
not_affected_if: ["linux-or-macos-only", "no-local-untrusted-users"]
published_at: "2019-08-28T21:15:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2019-15752", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2019-15752", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15752", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00"}]
---

# Docker Desktop Community Edition: Docker Desktop Community Edition Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Docker Desktop Community Edition on Windows lets a local user escalate privileges by planting a fake docker-credential-wincred.exe in a folder under %PROGRAMDATA%. The attacker gets higher privileges on the machine, and CISA lists it as actively exploited.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Docker Desktop Community Edition affected ? fixed ?

## How to check

Check whether %PROGRAMDATA%\DockerDesktop\version-bin\ exists and whether its files are writable by non-admin users (icacls on the folder).
Run docker version to confirm the installed Docker Desktop build; compare it with the fixed release.

## Fix

Update Docker Desktop Community Edition to a fixed release per vendor instructions; the sources do not name the version.
Restrict write access to the version-bin folder to administrators if updating is delayed.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2019-15752
- 2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2019-15752
- 2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15752

## From the sources

Docker Desktop Community Edition before 2.1.0.1 allows local users to gain privileges by placing a Trojan horse docker-credential-wincred.exe file in %PROGRAMDATA%\DockerDesktop\version-bin\ as a low-privilege user, and then waiting for an admin or service user to authenticate with Docker, restart Docker, or run 'docker login' to force the command.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_