Docker has introduced a major shift in its container safety technique, making its Docker Hardened Pictures (DHI) freely accessible to all builders.
Beforehand a commercial-only providing, DHI supplies a set of safe, minimal, and production-ready container photographs.
By releasing these underneath an Apache 2.0 license, Docker goals to fight the rising tide of software program provide chain assaults, which prompted over $60 billion in damages in 2025.
With over 20 billion month-to-month pulls on Docker Hub, Docker is the usual for software program supply. The brand new initiative ensures that each developer, no matter funds, begins with a safe basis.
Not like proprietary alternate options, DHI is absolutely open supply and suitable with in style foundations like Alpine and Debian.
This ensures groups can undertake these safe photographs with out rewriting their present Dockerfiles or altering workflows.
Docker emphasizes that “hardened” doesn’t imply opaque. The free DHI providing contains:
FeatureDescriptionFull TransparencyProvides a whole Software program Invoice of Supplies (SBOM) for each imageProvenanceUses SLSA Construct Degree 3 verificationHonest ReportingShows full CVE standing with out hiding vulnerability warningsReduced Assault SurfaceImages are as much as 95% smaller, reducing safety danger
Enterprise Choices Stay
Whereas the bottom photographs at the moment are free, Docker continues to supply DHI Enterprise for organizations with strict regulatory necessities.
The business tier focuses on service-level agreements (SLAs) relatively than gatekeeping the safety know-how itself. Docker can also be increasing this program past fundamental OS photographs.
FeatureDocker Hardened Pictures (Free)DHI Enterprise (Paid)AvailabilityOpen Supply (Apache 2.0)Business LicenseBase OSAlpine, DebianAlpine, Debian + CustomPatching SpeedStandard Launch Cycle<7 Day SLA for Crucial CVEsComplianceStandard SecurityFIPS, FedRAMP, STIGLifecycleStandard SupportExtended Lifecycle Assist (ELS)
The discharge contains Hardened Helm Charts for Kubernetes and trusted variations of the Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP) servers for in style instruments corresponding to MongoDB, Grafana, and GitHub.
By making these instruments free, Docker is successfully elevating the “safety poverty line,” making certain that safe software program supply is a typical, not a luxurious.
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