ReleaseRun Badges for Docker

Why Use Docker Health Badges?

Docker Engine releases do not follow a predictable schedule, and security patches often arrive without fanfare. A health badge gives your team instant visibility into whether your Docker version has known vulnerabilities.

Our CVE badges pull from the NIST NVD in real-time. When a container escape vulnerability drops, your badge reflects it within hours — not weeks. This matters when you are running Docker in production with thousands of containers.

Docker Engine Release History & EOL Timeline

Docker Engine follows a quarterly release cadence with major versions numbered by year and month (e.g., 27.x). Unlike many projects, Docker does not maintain long-term support branches — only the latest major release receives patches. This makes staying current especially critical.

• Docker Engine 27.x — current stable release line (since 2024). Actively maintained with security and bug fixes.
• Docker Engine 26.x — superseded by 27.x. Limited patch support. Teams should plan migration to 27.x.
• Docker Engine 25.x — no longer receiving patches. The ReleaseRun EOL badge flags this immediately.
• Docker Engine 24.x and earlier — end-of-life. Known container escape CVEs exist in older versions. Upgrade immediately.

Docker Desktop bundles the Engine, so upgrading Desktop also upgrades your Engine version. However, production servers running Docker Engine standalone need manual upgrades — badges help teams track which servers are falling behind.

Badge Customization Examples

Four badge types are available for Docker Engine:

• Health badge — composite A–F grade combining freshness, security, and support status. Embed: ![Docker Health](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/health/docker-engine.svg)
• Freshness badge — shows how current your Docker version is. Embed: ![Docker 27](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/v/docker-engine/27.5.1.svg)
• EOL badge — end-of-life status. Embed: ![Docker 26 EOL](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/eol/docker-engine/26.svg)
• CVE badge — known vulnerability count. Embed: ![Docker CVEs](https://img.releaserun.com/badge/cve/docker-engine/27.5.1.svg)

Append ?style=flat-square or ?style=for-the-badge for alternative styles. The embed builder above lets you preview all options.

Where Docker Badges Add Value

• Dockerfile templates: Show the Docker Engine health status alongside your base image recommendations.
• Infrastructure documentation: Make version health visible in runbooks and architecture docs.
• Compliance dashboards: Auditors want to know your container runtime is patched. A green health badge is instant proof.
• Internal wikis: Platform teams can embed badges in Confluence or Notion to give developers real-time visibility into the container runtime health across environments.

Related ReleaseRun Tools

Docker badges are part of a comprehensive container management toolkit:

• Dockerfile Security Linter — scan your Dockerfiles for security anti-patterns and best practice violations.
• Container Base Image Picker — choose the right base image based on size, security, and update frequency.
• Docker Compose Version Checker — verify your Compose files use supported syntax and service versions.
• Tech Stack Health Scorecard — get a holistic health grade for your entire container infrastructure.
• EOL Timeline Visualizer — see Docker Engine EOL dates alongside your other dependencies.
• CVE Dashboard — monitor known vulnerabilities across Docker and all your other tracked products.
• Docker Compose Security Checker — paste your docker-compose.yml and check 9 security misconfigurations with an A–F grade.

📚 Also see: 195+ Developer Reference Guides — quick-reference cheat sheets for every language and framework. 84+ free developer tools — security scanners, package health checkers, and more.