Use Absolute Path in WORKDIR

LOW

WORKDIR should use absolute paths starting with /.

Rule Information

Language
Docker
Category
Best Practice
Author
Shivasurya
Shivasurya
Last Updated
2026-03-22
Tags
dockerdockerfileworkdirpathabsolute-pathbest-practiceclaritymaintainabilityfilesystem
CWE References

Interactive Playground

Experiment with the vulnerable code and security rule below. Edit the code to see how the rule detects different vulnerability patterns.

pathfinder scan --ruleset docker/DOCKER-BP-018 --project .
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rule.py
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About This Rule

Understanding the vulnerability and how it is detected

Detects WORKDIR instructions using relative paths instead of absolute paths. Relative paths can lead to confusion about the actual working directory and make Dockerfiles harder to understand and maintain.

How to Fix

Recommended remediation steps

  • 1Review your Dockerfile to address the use absolute path in workdir issue
  • 2Follow Docker official best practices for image building
  • 3Use docker build --check to validate Dockerfile syntax and best practices

References

External resources and documentation

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Use Absolute Path in WORKDIR

WORKDIR should use absolute paths starting with /.
Review the secure code example in the playground above and apply the recommended pattern to your Dockerfile or docker-compose.yml.

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