Container Security

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Chainguard Containers
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Chainguard · Freemium · 3 capabilities in this domain · 4.04 / 5
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Docker Hardened Images
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Docker · Freemium · 3 capabilities in this domain · 4.00 / 5
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Chainguard VMs
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Chainguard · Commercial · 3 capabilities in this domain
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Docker Scout
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Docker · Freemium · 3 capabilities in this domain
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Echo Container Images
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Echo · Commercial · 3 capabilities in this domain
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RapidFort
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RapidFort · Freemium · 3 capabilities in this domain
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Snyk Container
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Snyk · Freemium · 3 capabilities in this domain
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The Guardener
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Chainguard · Commercial · 3 capabilities in this domain
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Bitnami Secure Images
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Bitnami · Commercial · 2 capabilities in this domain
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Chainguard OS Packages
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Chainguard · Commercial · 2 capabilities in this domain
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Iron Bank
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Platform One (U.S. Department of Defense) · Free · 2 capabilities in this domain
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Minimus
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Minimus · Commercial · 2 capabilities in this domain
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Clair
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Red Hat · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Copacetic
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Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Docker Bench for Security
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Docker · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Dockle
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Goodwith Tech · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Google Distroless
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Google · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Grype
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Anchore · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Hadolint
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Hadolint Project · Open Source · 1 capabilities in this domain
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Microsoft Defender for Containers
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Microsoft · Commercial · 1 capabilities in this domain
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In Container Security

Chainguard VMs

Chainguard · Container Security

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CommercialCompany

Chainguard VMs extend the zero-CVE, built-from-source model below the container to the machine image. They matter because a hardened container on an unpatched host only moves the vulnerability rather than removing it, and because most estates still run workloads that never became containers.

Website ↗

What it does5 capabilities · 5 at full coverage

5 of 5 at full coverage.

Build Provenance AttestationFullBUILD · level 3 · 15 providers
Base Image CVE Remediation AutomationFullCONTAINER · level 3 · 12 providers
Continuous Image Rebuild & Freshness ManagementFullCONTAINER · level 4 · 6 providers
Minimal Hardened Base ImagesFullCONTAINER · level 3 · 14 providers
SBOM GenerationFullSBOM · level 2 · 28 providers

What it proves27 controls across 12 frameworks

Satisfied through its capabilities, not claimed by the vendor.

CRA5 / 41Annex I Part I (2)(b) Annex I Part I (2)(f) Annex I Part I (2)(j) Annex I Part II (1) Annex I Part II (2)
SAMM 2.05 / 90I-SB-2-B O-EM-1-B O-EM-2-A O-EM-2-B O-EM-3-B
SSDF 1.13 / 42PS.2.1 PS.3.2 PW.9.1
CIS Controls2 / 18CIS 2 CIS 4
CSF 2.02 / 106ID.AM-02 PR.PS-02
DSOMM2 / 19BD-Patch-Management IM-Infrastructure-Hardening
S2C2F2 / 25INV-1 REB-3
SLSA 1.22 / 16Build L1 — Provenance generated and distributed Build L2 — Signed provenance
CIS Benchmarks1 / 6CIS Docker Benchmark
OWASP Top 101 / 10A08:2025
SP 800-204D1 / 11204D-CI-EVIDENCE
Scorecard1 / 20SBOM

What it stops7 techniques · 3 risks

7 techniques countered, 4 of them common

Command and Scripting InterpreterT1059Very Common
Exploitation of Known Vulnerable ComponentVery Common
Artifact Tampering After BuildCommon
Escape to HostT1611Common
SLSA threat D: Build from modified source or parametersSLSA-D
SLSA threat F: Upload of a modified artifactSLSA-F
SLSA threat G: Compromised distribution channelSLSA-G

3 risks reduced

Released artifact does not match reviewed sourceCritical
Cannot determine exposure to a compromised componentHigh
Exploitable vulnerabilities in container base imagesHigh

Where it runs2 phases · 1 way to deploy

Capabilities per lifecycle phase

Build5
Operate1

How it is delivered

Cloud provider native service

What it unlocks6 activities · reaches level 5

Program activities its capabilities support, reaching level 5. Supporting an activity is not completing it.

Level 1

Generate SBOMs for critical releasesLow effort

Level 2

SBOM for every build in SPDX and CycloneDXLow effort

Level 3

Signed SLSA provenance for every artifactLow effort
Standardize on minimal hardened base imagesMedium effort

Level 4

Image freshness SLOs and malware scanningMedium effort

Level 5

Near-zero known vulnerabilities in production imagesHigh effort

How it holds up2 strengths · 2 limitations · 2 uses it suits

Strengths

Closes the host-layer gap
Uniform evidence with the container catalog

Limitations

Requires cloud image pipeline changes
Narrower catalog than Containers

Best for

Kubernetes node images
Regulated estates needing host-layer evidence

Proof points

Extends zero-CVE coverage to the host layer for both cloud and on-premises deployments
Same signing, SBOM and provenance evidence model as the container catalog

How it works

The same Chainguard build system that produces container packages produces machine images, signed and published with an SBOM and provenance, rebuilt on the same continuous cadence. They are consumed as cloud machine images rather than as OCI artifacts.

Organization size it suits

Organizations where node-image findings are a material share of the remaining vulnerability backlog

What it costsPer image or catalog subscription

LicensingPer image or catalog subscription

Priced perimage or catalog per year

BillingSubscription

Scales withNumber of hardened images or catalog tier consumed

Total cost

Compare against engineering time spent triaging and patching base-image CVEs.

What it takes to run2 evidence outputs

Evidence it produces

Signed machine image with build provenanceSBOM for the host layer suitable for the same inventory as container SBOMs

What it works with3 standards

Standards and formats

SLSA Provenance PredicateSPDX (ISO/IEC 5962)Sigstore Bundle

What else to look at9 siblings

Same family

Chainguard ActionsCommercial
Chainguard ContainersFreemium · 4.04
Chainguard FactoryCommercial
Chainguard LibrariesCommercial
Chainguard OS PackagesCommercial
The GuardenerCommercial
WolfiOpen Source
apkoOpen Source
melangeOpen Source

What backs this up

No measurement, incident or pipeline using it.

Gantry 7.1.0 · OFF.12 · OFF.13