diff --git a/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth.go b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..13098d3bda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth.go
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+package docker_manager
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/registry"
+	dockerregistry "github.com/docker/docker/registry"
+)
+
+// RegistryAuthConfig holds authentication configuration for a container registry
+type RegistryAuthConfig struct {
+	Auths       map[string]registry.AuthConfig `json:"auths"`
+	CredHelpers map[string]string              `json:"credHelpers"`
+	CredsStore  string                         `json:"credsStore"`
+}
+
+// loadDockerAuth loads the authentication configuration from the config.json file located in $DOCKER_CONFIG or ~/.docker
+func loadDockerAuth() (RegistryAuthConfig, error) {
+	configFilePath := os.Getenv("DOCKER_CONFIG")
+	if configFilePath == "" {
+		configFilePath = os.Getenv("HOME") + "/.docker/config.json"
+	} else {
+		configFilePath = configFilePath + "/config.json"
+	}
+
+	file, err := os.ReadFile(configFilePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return RegistryAuthConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("error reading Docker config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var authConfig RegistryAuthConfig
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(file, &authConfig); err != nil {
+		return RegistryAuthConfig{}, fmt.Errorf("error unmarshalling Docker config file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return authConfig, nil
+}
+
+// getCredentialsFromStore fetches credentials from a Docker credential helper (credStore)
+func getCredentialsFromStore(credHelper string, registryURL string) (*registry.AuthConfig, error) {
+	// Prepare the helper command (docker-credential-<store>)
+	credHelperCmd := "docker-credential-" + credHelper
+
+	// Execute the credential helper to get credentials for the registry
+	cmd := exec.Command(credHelperCmd, "get")
+	cmd.Stdin = strings.NewReader(registryURL)
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	cmd.Stdout = &out
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
+
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error executing credential helper %s: %v, %s", credHelperCmd, err, stderr.String())
+	}
+
+	// Parse the output (it should return JSON containing "Username", "Secret" and "ServerURL")
+	creds := struct {
+		Username  string `json:"Username"`
+		Secret    string `json:"Secret"`
+		ServerURL string `json:"ServerURL"`
+	}{}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(out.Bytes(), &creds); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error parsing credentials from store: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return &registry.AuthConfig{
+		Username:      creds.Username,
+		Password:      creds.Secret,
+		ServerAddress: creds.ServerURL,
+		Auth:          base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", creds.Username, creds.Secret))),
+		Email:         "",
+		IdentityToken: "",
+		RegistryToken: "",
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// GetAuthFromDockerConfig retrieves the auth configuration for a given repository
+// by checking the Docker config.json file and Docker credential helpers.
+// Returns nil if no credentials were found.
+func GetAuthFromDockerConfig(repo string) (*registry.AuthConfig, error) {
+	authConfig, err := loadDockerAuth()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	registryHost := dockerregistry.ConvertToHostname(repo)
+
+	if !strings.Contains(registryHost, ".") || registryHost == "docker.io" || registryHost == "registry-1.docker.io" {
+		registryHost = "https://index.docker.io/v1/"
+	}
+
+	// Check if the URL contains "://", meaning it already has a protocol
+	if !strings.Contains(registryHost, "://") {
+		registryHost = "https://" + registryHost
+	}
+
+	// 1. Check if there is a credHelper for this specific registry
+	if credHelper, exists := authConfig.CredHelpers[registryHost]; exists {
+		return getCredentialsFromStore(credHelper, registryHost)
+	}
+
+	// 2. Check if there is a default credStore for all registries
+	if authConfig.CredsStore != "" {
+		return getCredentialsFromStore(authConfig.CredsStore, registryHost)
+	}
+
+	// 3. Fallback to credentials in "auths" if no credStore is available
+	if auth, exists := authConfig.Auths[registryHost]; exists {
+		return &auth, nil
+	}
+
+	// Return no AuthConfig if no credentials were found
+	return nil, nil
+}
diff --git a/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth_test.go b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae800a7bb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_auth_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+package docker_manager
+
+import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+// WriteStaticConfig writes a static Docker config.json file to a temporary directory
+func WriteStaticConfig(t *testing.T, configContent string) string {
+	tmpDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "docker-config")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to create temp directory: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	configPath := tmpDir + "/config.json"
+	err = os.WriteFile(configPath, []byte(configContent), 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to write config.json: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Set the DOCKER_CONFIG environment variable to the temp directory
+	os.Setenv("DOCKER_CONFIG", tmpDir)
+	return tmpDir
+}
+
+func TestGetAuthConfigForRepoPlain(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedUser := "user"
+	expectedPassword := "password"
+
+	encodedAuth := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", expectedUser, expectedPassword)))
+
+	cfg := fmt.Sprintf(`
+	{
+		"auths": {
+			"https://index.docker.io/v1/": {
+				"auth": "%s"
+			}
+		}
+	}`, encodedAuth)
+
+	tmpDir := WriteStaticConfig(t, cfg)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+
+	// Test 1: Retrieve auth config for Docker Hub using docker.io domain
+	authConfig, err := GetAuthFromDockerConfig("docker.io/my-repo/my-image:latest")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, encodedAuth, authConfig.Auth, "Auth for Docker Hub should match")
+
+	// Test 2: Retrieve auth config for Docker Hub using no domain
+	authConfig, err = GetAuthFromDockerConfig("my-repo/my-image:latest")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, encodedAuth, authConfig.Auth, "Auth for Docker Hub should match when using no host prefix")
+
+	// Test 3: Retrieve auth config for Docker Hub using full domain and https:// prefix
+	authConfig, err = GetAuthFromDockerConfig("https://registry-1.docker.io/my-repo/my-image:latest")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, encodedAuth, authConfig.Auth, "Auth for Docker Hub should match when using no host prefix")
+
+}
+
+func TestGetAuthConfigForRepoOSX(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip("Skipping test that requires macOS keychain")
+
+	cfg := `{
+		"auths": {
+			"https://index.docker.io/v1/": {}
+		},
+		"credsStore": "osxkeychain"
+	}`
+	tmpDir := WriteStaticConfig(t, cfg)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+
+	authConfig, err := GetAuthFromDockerConfig("my-repo/my-image:latest")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, authConfig, "Auth config should not be nil")
+}
+
+func TestGetAuthConfigForRepoUnix(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip("Skipping test that requires unix `pass` password manager")
+
+	cfg := `{
+		"auths": {
+			"https://index.docker.io/v1/": {}
+		},
+		"credsStore": "pass"
+	}`
+	tmpDir := WriteStaticConfig(t, cfg)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+
+	authConfig, err := GetAuthFromDockerConfig("my-repo/my-image:latest")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, authConfig, "Auth config should not be nil")
+}
diff --git a/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_manager.go b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_manager.go
index bd4e771c04..cad0cbc6d9 100644
--- a/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_manager.go
+++ b/container-engine-lib/lib/backend_impls/docker/docker_manager/docker_manager.go
@@ -2279,6 +2279,23 @@ func pullImage(dockerClient *client.Client, imageName string, registrySpec *imag
 		PrivilegeFunc: nil,
 		Platform:      platform,
 	}
+
+	// Try to obtain the auth configuration from the docker config file
+	authConfig, err := GetAuthFromDockerConfig(imageName)
+	if err != nil {
+		logrus.Errorf("An error occurred while getting auth config for image: %s: %s", imageName, err.Error())
+	}
+
+	if authConfig != nil {
+		authFromConfig, err := registry.EncodeAuthConfig(*authConfig)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Errorf("An error occurred while encoding auth config for image: %s: %s", imageName, err.Error())
+		} else {
+			imagePullOptions.RegistryAuth = authFromConfig
+		}
+	}
+
+	// If the registry spec is defined, use that for authentication
 	if registrySpec != nil {
 		authConfig := registry.AuthConfig{
 			Username:      registrySpec.GetUsername(),