# Chainguard Images Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/chainguard/ 7 people recommended Chainguard Images in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 21 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Criticized more than recommended: critics say it broke a coordinated disclosure embargo to publish fixes early; those who recommend it cite minimal, continually patched container images with low CVE counts and fast vulnerability response. Summary written by Claude from the comments below. ## What people warn about - Control over builds and exploit feed (3 comments in the sample): "Chainguard effectively held everyone hostage, and forced everyone hosting container images and wanting to be online, to trust their builds" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50184177)) "if I was maintaining PHP or another critical software, I’d think twice about letting Chainguard have inside information" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50184413)) "Chainguard can only guarantee zero active exploits because they control their own exploit feed" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46303303)) - Commercial gain put before disclosure (3 comments in the sample): "It was a selfish, PR exercise. He could have done it quietly." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50206220)) "Chainguard will lie and cheat to put themselves first." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50210603)) "Instead they sought short term commercial advantage." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50201287)) - Published fixes before embargo ended (2 comments in the sample): "They didn’t get to unilaterally decide that the embargo was inconvenient and publish early." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50183764)) "Chainguard did release their patches before the agreed upon time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50191720)) - Not fully source-bootstrapped or easy to follow (2 comments in the sample): "while the are open source they are less straightforward to follow" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46842024)) "chainguard is not full-source bootstrapped" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46842654)) ## Why people recommend it - Low CVE counts and fast response (2 comments in the sample): "Chainguard still has better CVE response time and can better guarantee you zero active exploits found by your prod scanners." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46303245)) "Chainguard offered images that report 0 CVEs and would basically remove this barrier." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46304140)) - Minimal, continually patched images (2 comments in the sample): "I’ve become super sold on the benefits of minimal and continually patched images" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659504)) "Chainguard based images, packages and libraries are first line of defense." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48356918)) ## Other container base images people recommend - [Docker Hardened Images](https://hackerapproved.com/p/docker-hardened-images/): 11 recommend, 0 mixed, 13 criticize - [StageX](https://hackerapproved.com/p/stagex/): 9 recommend, 3 mixed, 4 criticize - [Minimus container images](https://hackerapproved.com/p/minimus-container-images/): 6 recommend, 0 mixed, 10 criticize ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.chainguard.dev/) ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Chainguard Images", https://hackerapproved.com/p/chainguard/ (7 recommend, 1 mixed, 21 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.