Comprehensive container image security scanning and remediation. Analyzes Docker images for OS package vulnerabilities, application dependencies, and Dockerfile best practices. Use when: - User asks to scan a Docker image or container - User mentions "container security" or "image vulnerabilities" - User wants to secure a Dockerfile - User asks about base image security - Agent is working with Docker, Kubernetes, or container deployments
76
70%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
Pending
No eval scenarios have been run
Advisory
Suggest reviewing before use
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./command_directives/synchronous_remediation/skills/container-security/SKILL.mdGuide for comprehensive container image security analysis, covering OS vulnerabilities, application dependencies, and Dockerfile best practices.
Core Principle: Secure containers from the base up - secure base image, minimal packages, no vulnerabilities.
1. Identify image to scan (local, registry, or archive)
2. Run snyk_container_scan with image name
3. Analyze results: OS packages + application deps
4. Provide remediation guidance
5. Optionally fix Dockerfile issuesExtract the image reference from the user's request (e.g., myapp:latest, nginx:1.25, gcr.io/project/app:v1, sha256:abc123..., or ./image.tar).
Ask or infer:
Invoke mcp_snyk_snyk_container_scan with:
image: the image name or pathFor more comprehensive analysis, invoke mcp_snyk_snyk_container_scan with:
image: the image namefile: path to Dockerfile (enables better remediation advice)app_vulns: true (scan app dependencies)severity_threshold: "high" (filter to high/critical only)To isolate inherited vs. added vulnerabilities:
mcp_snyk_snyk_container_scan with image and exclude_base_image_vulns: true — shows only vulnerabilities your layers added.| Source | Description | Your Control |
|---|---|---|
| Base OS packages | Installed by base image | Change base image |
| Additional OS packages | Installed via apt/yum | Update or remove |
| App dependencies | Node modules, Python packages | Update versions |
| Dockerfile issues | Misconfigurations | Direct fix |
## Container Scan Results: [image:tag]
### Overview
| Category | Critical | High | Medium | Low |
|----------|----------|------|--------|-----|
| OS Packages | X | Y | Z | W |
| App Dependencies | A | B | C | D |
| **Total** | X+A | Y+B | Z+C | W+D |
### Base Image Analysis
- **Base**: [base image detected]
- **Vulnerabilities from base**: [count]
- **Vulnerabilities you added**: [count]
### Top Priority Issues
| Severity | Package | Vulnerability | Fix Available |
|----------|---------|---------------|---------------|
| Critical | openssl | CVE-2024-XXXX | Yes - 3.0.12 |
| High | libcurl | CVE-2024-YYYY | Yes - 8.5.0 |OS Packages: Update package in Dockerfile, upgrade base image, or use distroless/minimal base.
App Dependencies: Update in source manifest and rebuild image with updated dependencies.
No Fix Available: Document accepted risk, consider alternative package, or wait for upstream fix.
If base image has vulnerabilities:
## Base Image Recommendation
**Current**: node:16-alpine
**Vulnerabilities**: 15 (3 Critical, 5 High)
**Recommended**: node:20-alpine
**Vulnerabilities**: 2 (0 Critical, 1 High)
### Dockerfile Change
```dockerfile
# Before
FROM node:16-alpine
# After
FROM node:20-alpine### Step 4.2: Package Updates
For individual package vulnerabilities:Current: 3.0.8 Vulnerable to: CVE-2024-XXXX (Critical) Fix Version: 3.0.12
# Add before your application layer
RUN apk update && apk upgrade openssl### Step 4.3: Application Dependency FixesPackage: lodash (via npm) Current: 4.17.15 Fix Version: 4.17.21
### Step 4.4: Dockerfile Best Practices
Key improvements to recommend:
```dockerfile
# 1. Pin specific tags (not latest)
FROM node:20.10.0-alpine3.19
# 2. Run as non-root
RUN addgroup -g 1001 appgroup && \
adduser -u 1001 -G appgroup -D appuser
USER appuser
# 3. Multi-stage builds (smaller image, fewer vulns)
FROM node:20 AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN npm ci && npm run build
FROM node:20-alpine
COPY --from=builder /app/dist /app
CMD ["node", "/app/index.js"]
# 4. Minimize packages
RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends curl# Rebuild with no cache to ensure fresh packages
docker build --no-cache -t myapp:fixed .Invoke mcp_snyk_snyk_container_scan with:
image: myapp:fixedfile: ./Dockerfile## Fix Verification
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|--------|--------|-------|--------|
| Critical | 3 | 0 | -3 ✅ |
| High | 5 | 1 | -4 ✅ |
| Medium | 12 | 8 | -4 ✅ |
| Total | 20 | 9 | -11 ✅ |
### Remaining Issues
- 1 High: No fix available upstream (document risk)
- 8 Medium: Low priority (schedule for next sprint)User: "Scan my app:latest image and help me fix it."
Step 1 — Run the scan:
mcp_snyk_snyk_container_scan(image="app:latest", app_vulns=true)Step 2 — Tool returns (example output):
{
"summary": "Found 18 vulnerabilities (2 Critical, 6 High, 10 Medium)",
"baseImage": "node:16-alpine",
"vulnerabilities": [
{ "severity": "critical", "pkgName": "openssl", "version": "3.0.8",
"fixedIn": "3.0.12", "id": "CVE-2024-0001" },
{ "severity": "high", "pkgName": "lodash", "version": "4.17.15",
"fixedIn": "4.17.21", "id": "CVE-2021-23337" }
]
}Step 3 — Deliver structured response:
## Scan Results: app:latest
Base image: node:16-alpine | 2 Critical · 6 High · 10 Medium
### Immediate Actions
1. Upgrade base image → node:20-alpine (eliminates ~14 vulns)
2. Pin openssl ≥ 3.0.12 in Dockerfile (CVE-2024-0001, Critical)
3. Update lodash to ^4.17.21 in package.json (CVE-2021-23337, High)
### Dockerfile patch
FROM node:20-alpine # was node:16-alpine
RUN apk add --no-cache openssl>=3.0.12Step 4 — After applying fixes, rebuild and re-scan to confirm resolution.
1. Invoke snyk_container_scan(image="app:latest")
2. Summarize findings by category
3. Recommend highest-priority fixes
4. Provide Dockerfile changes1. Review Dockerfile for best practices
2. Build image if not already built
3. Invoke snyk_container_scan(image=..., file="./Dockerfile")
4. Combine scan results with Dockerfile review
5. Provide unified remediation1. Identify current base image and vulnerabilities
2. Scan alternative base images
3. Compare vulnerability counts
4. Recommend best option with migration notes| Runtime | Recommended Base | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | node:20-alpine | Smallest, may lack some libs |
| Node.js | node:20-slim | Debian-based, more compatible |
| Python | python:3.12-slim | Good balance |
| Python | python:3.12-alpine | Smallest |
| Java | eclipse-temurin:21-jre-alpine | JRE only |
| Go | gcr.io/distroless/static | No shell, minimal attack surface |
| .NET | mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0-alpine | Runtime only |
Distroless options (gcr.io/distroless/): static (Go/Rust), base (most languages), java, nodejs — all offer minimal attack surface with no shell.
| Error | Solutions |
|---|---|
| Image not found locally | docker pull <image> · check name spelling · verify registry access |
| Registry authentication required | docker login <registry> · verify credentials and permissions |
| Scan timed out | Retry · pull image locally first · scan a .tar archive instead |
latest9293725
If you maintain this skill, you can claim it as your own. Once claimed, you can manage eval scenarios, bundle related skills, attach documentation or rules, and ensure cross-agent compatibility.