Docker Compose Path Traversal (CVE-2025-62725) Allows Arbitrary File Overwrite via OCI Artifacts

Docker Compose has disclosed a high-severity path traversal vulnerability, CVE-2025-62725, which can allow arbitrary file writes across Docker Desktop, standalone Compose binaries, CI/CD pipelines and cloud development environments. According to the advisory, Docker Compose trusts path information embedded in remote OCI compose artifacts, and when a layer includes certain annotations, Compose joins attacker-supplied values with its local cache directory and writes the file there.

The flaw enables an attacker to escape the cache directory and overwrite arbitrary files on the host, even when commands such as docker compose config or docker compose ps are used in read-only mode. The root cause lies in how Docker Compose previously trusted annotation values in OCI artifact layers, enabling injection of malicious relative paths; Docker has since patched this in v2.40.2 with stricter validation and sanitisation of annotation paths, addressing a vulnerability rated CVSS v4 8.9. The impact is broad, affecting any platform or workflow that resolves remote OCI compose artifacts.