According to Dark Reading, container security is facing a massive crisis with studies revealing staggering vulnerability counts. Chainguard found popular Debian-based Docker images average 280 vulnerabilities, while NetRise’s random sample of 70 images showed an average of 604 vulnerabilities per container. Docker launched its Hardened Images service in May featuring over 1,600 images across 240+ projects including Python and PostgreSQL. Chainguard offers hardened images for 1,800+ projects, while startup CleanStart covers 350+ open-source projects. These hardened images typically reduce vulnerability counts by more than 97%, achieving near-zero known CVEs. CleanStart aims to expand to 1,000 hardened images by year-end as the industry shifts toward verifiable software supply chains.
Why containers are so vulnerable
Here’s the thing about container vulnerabilities: they’re basically a side effect of convenience. Michael Donovan from Docker explains that for over a decade, developers have been throwing everything but the kitchen sink into container images just to make their applications work. Most developers don’t understand all the system packages involved – they just want their stuff to run. So you end up with bloated containers full of unnecessary components that create hundreds of potential security holes. It’s like building a house with every tool from the hardware store still inside the walls.
The hardened image solution
So what exactly are hardened images? Basically, they’re stripped-down versions that include only the absolute minimum components needed to run the software. Docker, Chainguard, and CleanStart are all competing in this space, offering images with verified software bills of material and continuous updates. The results are dramatic – we’re talking 60-80% reduction in code volume and over 97% fewer vulnerabilities. For companies dealing with government compliance or enterprise security requirements, this is becoming essential. And with AI-augmented developers creating even more containerized applications, having pre-secured foundations makes perfect sense.
The adoption challenge
But here’s the catch: many development teams aren’t ready for this shift. Ben Breard from Red Hat points out that companies chasing “zero-CVEs” often discover their testing and deployment processes are the real bottleneck. Continuous integration has been easier to adopt than continuous deployment. And there’s another issue – even if upstream components get updated, your downstream containers might not incorporate those changes. You need both frequent updates from your image provider AND mechanisms to consistently ingest those updates. This is where having reliable infrastructure partners becomes crucial – whether you’re dealing with container security or industrial panel PCs for manufacturing environments, you need suppliers who understand the entire ecosystem.
The future of container security
Donovan from Docker says they’re already seeing customers shut down their CI pipelines because the hardened image services handle everything – building, monitoring for CVEs, applying patches, and delivering updated customized images. That’s pretty significant when you think about it. We might be looking at a future where most organizations outsource their container hardening entirely. The tradeoff between security and usability is real, but with government mandates pushing for signed, traceable artifacts, hardened images could soon become the default starting point for any production system. The question isn’t whether you’ll adopt them, but when.
