Dependency management path traversal in helm
Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. When either the Helm client or SDK is used to save a chart whose name within the `Chart.yaml` file includes a relative path change, the chart would be saved outside its expected directory based on the changes in the relative path. The validation and linting did not detect the path changes in the name. This issue has been resolved in Helm v3.14.1. Users unable to upgrade should check all charts used by Helm for path changes in their name as found in the `Chart.yaml` file. This includes dependencies.
- Published
- Feb 14, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.6% · 45th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-22
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Report tools
Action score
25
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 25 / 40 · 6.4 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.6%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 6.4
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 6.4
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| helm | helm | cpe:2.3:a:helm:helm |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- helm helmbefore 3.14.1
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
helm helm
- < 3.14.1affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | helm.sh/helm/v3 | before 3.14.1 | 3.14.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | helm | before 3.14.2-2.1 | 3.14.2-2.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | helm3 | before 3.19.2-1.1 | 3.19.2-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | helm | before 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 | 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | helm | before 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 | 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP5 | helm | before 3.13.3-150000.1.32.1 | 3.13.3-150000.1.32.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Containers 15 SP5 | helm | before 3.13.3-150000.1.32.1 | 3.13.3-150000.1.32.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | helm | before 3.17.2-1.1 | 3.17.2-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | helm | before 3.17.2-slfo.1.1_1.1 | 3.17.2-slfo.1.1_1.1 |
Same product
helm: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-18658In Helm 2.x before 2.15.2, commands that deal with loading a chart as a directory or packaging a chart provide an opportunity for a maliciou40Plan
- CVE-2019-1010275helm Before 2.7.2 is affected by: CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation.39Monitor
- CVE-2025-53547Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution34Monitor
- CVE-2021-32690Repository credentials passed to alternate domain34Monitor
- CVE-2026-35205Helm's plugin verification fails open when .prov is missing, allowing unsigned plugin install33Monitor
- CVE-2026-35204Helm has a path traversal in plugin metadata version enables arbitrary file write outside Helm plugin directory33Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Go:helm.sh/helm/v3 | 3.14.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:helm | 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 · openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.5 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:helm3 | 3.19.2-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:helm | 3.16.3-150000.1.38.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- low · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- Low
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
nvd-primary
Root cause
A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-22 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);res.sendFile(file);Fixed
const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) { return res.sendStatus(400);}res.sendFile(file);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Path TraversalCAPEC-126likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- github.com/helm/helm/commit/0d0f91d1ce277b2c8766cdc4c7aa04dbafbf2503
- github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-v53g-5gjp-272r
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.