Painless Docker - 2nd Edition

Kernel Panic and Container Exploits

Containers do not include their own kernel, and they rely entirely on the host kernel for system calls, networking, memory management, and hardware access. This tight integration with the host kernel is one of Docker's strengths. It allows containers to be lightweight and fast. However, it also means that kernel-level failures affect more than a single container.

If a container triggers a kernel panic, the impact is not limited to that container. A kernel panic brings down the entire host operating system, which in turn stops all running containers and services on that host.