Arcane is a management interface designed to handle Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes, facilitating operations across local and remote environments. Prior to version 1.13.2, Arcane's environment proxy middleware inadequately enforced authentication for requests targeting remote environments. Specifically, when a request was made to the endpoint pattern `/api/environments/{id}/...` and the environment ID did not correspond to a local environment, the middleware proxied the request to the remote environment agent. Critically, it attached a manager-held agent token to these proxied requests regardless of whether the original caller was authenticated. This flaw (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) allowed unauthenticated attackers to perform sensitive operations on remote Docker environments, such as listing containers, streaming logs, or invoking other agent endpoints. The vulnerability exposes remote environment resources to unauthorized access and manipulation, potentially leading to data leakage, unauthorized changes to container states, or denial of service conditions. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.0 (high), reflecting the network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality and integrity. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on January 19, 2026, and patched in Arcane version 1.13.2. No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses significant risks, especially for those relying on Arcane to manage distributed Docker environments, including cloud-native applications and microservices architectures. Unauthorized access to remote Docker agents can lead to exposure of sensitive containerized application data, unauthorized deployment or termination of containers, and disruption of critical services. This could impact sectors with high reliance on container orchestration such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and public services. The ability to manipulate container environments without authentication could also facilitate lateral movement within networks, increasing the risk of broader compromise. Additionally, data privacy regulations like GDPR heighten the consequences of data exposure incidents, potentially leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The vulnerability's network-exploitable nature means attackers can target exposed Arcane management interfaces remotely, increasing the attack surface for organizations with insufficient network segmentation or exposure to the internet.

European organizations should immediately upgrade Arcane to version 1.13.2 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Until patching is complete, organizations should restrict network access to Arcane management interfaces by implementing strict firewall rules and network segmentation to limit exposure to trusted internal networks only. Employing zero-trust network principles can reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Monitoring and logging of all API requests to Arcane should be enhanced to detect anomalous or unauthorized activities, particularly requests to `/api/environments/{id}/...` endpoints. Organizations should audit their current deployment architectures to identify any remote environment agents accessible via Arcane and verify that no unauthorized access has occurred. Additionally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access controls (RBAC) around management interfaces to add layers of security. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on container management tools can help identify similar issues proactively.