CVE-2024-10846 is a vulnerability identified in the compose-go library, a core component of the compose-spec project used by Docker Compose versions 2.27.0 through 2.29.7. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation (CWE-20) when parsing YAML payloads. Specifically, an authorized user can craft malicious YAML input that causes the compose-go parser to consume excessive CPU and memory resources during processing. This behavior can lead to resource exhaustion, potentially degrading system performance or causing denial of service (DoS) conditions. The vulnerability affects compose-go versions from v2.10 up to v2.4.0, indicating a regression or versioning anomaly in the description, but the key affected Docker Compose versions are clearly stated. The flaw requires that the attacker be an authorized user, meaning they must have some level of access to submit YAML configurations to the system running Docker Compose. There is no indication that this vulnerability allows for remote code execution or privilege escalation; rather, it is a resource exhaustion issue triggered by maliciously crafted input. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (January 23, 2025). The vulnerability is classified as medium severity by the vendor, reflecting its impact primarily on availability through resource consumption rather than confidentiality or integrity. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may be pending or not yet publicly released at the time of this report. Overall, this vulnerability highlights the risks of insufficient input validation in widely used container orchestration tooling, which can be leveraged by insiders or compromised accounts to disrupt container deployment workflows.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-10846 primarily concerns availability and operational continuity. Organizations relying heavily on Docker Compose for container orchestration in development, testing, or production environments may experience degraded performance or denial of service if malicious YAML payloads are submitted by authorized users or compromised accounts. This could disrupt application deployment pipelines, delay updates, or cause outages in containerized services. The impact is particularly significant for enterprises with automated CI/CD pipelines or multi-tenant environments where multiple users submit compose files. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, the resulting service disruption can have cascading effects on business operations, especially in sectors requiring high availability such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Additionally, the resource exhaustion could increase cloud infrastructure costs due to unexpected CPU and memory usage spikes. European organizations with strict compliance requirements around service availability and incident response may face regulatory scrutiny if such disruptions occur. However, the requirement for authorized user access limits the attack surface to insiders or compromised credentials, reducing the risk from external attackers. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests that immediate widespread impact is unlikely but vigilance is warranted.

1. Restrict access to Docker Compose environments to trusted and authenticated users only, enforcing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 2. Implement input validation and sanitization at the application or orchestration layer to detect and reject suspicious or unusually large YAML payloads before they reach the compose-go parser. 3. Monitor resource utilization metrics (CPU, memory) on hosts running Docker Compose to detect abnormal spikes that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4. Employ rate limiting or quotas on the number and size of YAML files that authorized users can submit within a given timeframe to mitigate resource exhaustion risks. 5. Maintain strict logging and auditing of compose file submissions and user activities to enable rapid detection and forensic analysis of potential abuse. 6. Stay updated with vendor advisories and apply patches promptly once available to remediate the vulnerability. 7. Consider isolating Docker Compose environments in dedicated containers or virtual machines with resource limits (cgroups, namespaces) to contain potential resource abuse. 8. Educate authorized users about the risks of submitting untrusted or malformed YAML files and enforce policies for code review and validation of compose files in collaborative environments.