---
id: "CVE-2026-95838"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-95838", "GHSA-rp3h-jf77-q9p4", "GO-2026-6796"]
title: "containerd: Unpack DoS via repeated opaque whiteouts in github.com/containerd/containerd"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 4.6
epss: 0.00215
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "github.com/containerd/containerd", "fixed": ["1.7.35"], "affected": "< 1.7.35", "ecosystem": "go"}, {"name": "github.com/containerd/containerd/v2", "fixed": ["2.0.12", "2.2.8", "2.3.5"], "affected": ">= 2.3.0, < 2.3.5", "ecosystem": "go"}]
ecosystems: ["go"]
tags: ["containerd", "docker", "go", "kubernetes", "package", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["images-from-trusted-registries-only", "managed-hosting"]
published_at: "2026-10-12T20:17:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:13:08+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T20:03:14+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "govuln", "url": "https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6796", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:13:08+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-95838", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-95838", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:35:23+00:00"}]
---

# containerd: Unpack DoS via repeated opaque whiteouts in github.com/containerd/containerd

containerd's layer unpack handler repeatedly traverses directories when processing certain opaque whiteout configurations in an image layer. A malicious image can make pulling or importing it consume CPU, slow container startup and reduce image-pull concurrency.

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

## Affected

- go:github.com/containerd/containerd affected < 1.7.35 fixed 1.7.35
- go:github.com/containerd/containerd/v2 affected >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.5 fixed 2.0.12, 2.2.8, 2.3.5

## How to check

Check the containerd version on hosts that pull or import images: run containerd --version. Affected if below 1.7.35 for the 1.x line, or in the 2.3.0 to 2.3.4 range or below 2.2.8 or 2.0.12 on other lines.

## Fix

Upgrade containerd to 1.7.35, 2.0.12, 2.2.8, or 2.3.5 depending on your release line. unknown for any other mitigation.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:13:08+00:00 govuln https://pkg.go.dev/vuln/GO-2026-6796
- 2026-10-23T19:13:43+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-95838
- 2026-10-23T19:35:23+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-95838

## From the sources

containerd is an open-source container runtime. Prior to 1.7.35, 2.0.12, 2.2.8, and 2.3.5, containerd's layer unpack handler repeatedly traverses directories for certain opaque whiteout configurations. A malicious image layer can trigger repeated directory traversals while opaque whiteouts are processed. Pulling or importing the image can consume CPU, delay container startup, and reduce image-pull concurrency for unrelated deployments. This issue is fixed in versions 1.7.35, 2.0.12, 2.2.8, and 2.3.5.

---

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