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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2025-53547: Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 34/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.49% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: cbl2 helm 3.14.2-6 on CBL Mariner 2.0 3.14.2-7; cm2 helm 3.14.2-7 on CBL Mariner 2.0 3.14.2-7.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to cbl2 helm 3.14.2-6 on CBL Mariner 2.0 3.14.2-7; cm2 helm 3.14.2-7 on CBL Mariner 2.0 3.14.2-7 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

Helm is a package manager for Charts for Kubernetes. Prior to 3.18.4, a specially crafted Chart.yaml file along with a specially linked Chart.lock file can lead to local code execution when dependencies are updated. Fields in a Chart.yaml file, that are carried over to a Chart.lock file when dependencies are updated and this file is written, can be crafted in a way that can cause execution if that same content were in a file that is executed (e.g., a bash.rc file or shell script). If the Chart.lock file is symlinked to one of these files updating dependencies will write the lock file content to the symlinked file. This can lead to unwanted execution. Helm warns of the symlinked file but did not stop execution due to symlinking. This issue has been resolved in Helm v3.18.4.

HighCVSS 8.6 · v3.1—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
Jul 8, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.4% · 42th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

34

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
34 / 40 · 8.6 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.4%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
8.6
CNA · GitHub_M
8.5
0.1 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2025-53547

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
helmhelm

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • helm helmbefore 3.17.4
  • helm helm3.18.0 and later · before 3.18.4

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

    • < 3.18.4affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.22helmfrom 3.18.0 · before 3.18.4-r03.18.4-r0
Gohelm.sh/helm/v3from 3.18.0-rc.1 · before 3.18.43.18.4
Gohelm.sh/helm/v3before 3.18.43.18.4
Gohelm.sh/helm/v3before 3.17.43.17.4
openSUSE:Leap 15.6helmbefore 3.19.1-150000.1.57.13.19.1-150000.1.57.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcmctlbefore 2.3.0-1.12.3.0-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedhelmbefore 3.18.4-1.13.18.4-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedhelm3before 3.19.2-1.13.19.2-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedk9sbefore 0.50.7-2.10.50.7-2.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedkubeshark-clibefore 52.8.0-1.152.8.0-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedtrivybefore 0.64.1-1.10.64.1-1.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5helmbefore 3.19.1-150000.1.57.13.19.1-150000.1.57.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0helmbefore 3.18.4-1.13.18.4-1.1
SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1helmbefore 3.18.4-slfo.1.1_1.13.18.4-slfo.1.1_1.1

Same product

helm: all records

Other 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 maliciou
    40Plan
  • CVE-2019-1010275helm Before 2.7.2 is affected by: CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation.
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2021-32690Repository credentials passed to alternate domain
    34Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-32386Apr 9, 2025 · Helm Allows A Specially Crafted Chart Archive To Cause Out Of Memory Termination
    26Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2025-32387Apr 9, 2025 · Helm Allows A Specially Crafted JSON Schema To Cause A Stack Overflow
    26Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2025-55198Aug 13, 2025 · Helm May Panic Due To Incorrect YAML Content
    26Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
cbl2 helm 3.14.2-6 on CBL Mariner 2.03.14.2-7 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
cm2 helm 3.14.2-7 on CBL Mariner 2.03.14.2-7 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
alpine:helm3.18.4-r0 · Alpine:v3.22Package registry (OSV)
Go:helm.sh/helm/v33.17.4Package registry (OSV)
Go:helm.sh/helm/v33.18.4Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cmctl2.3.0-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:helm3.19.1-150000.1.57.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.6Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:helm33.19.2-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:k9s0.50.7-2.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:kubeshark-cli52.8.0-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:trivy0.64.1-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
suse:helm3.18.4-1.1 · SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0Package registry (OSV)
suse:helm3.19.1-150000.1.57.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:92025-07-09

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.

  1. Published
  2. First PoCsame day
  3. TodayNov 5, 2026+485 d

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

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 researchers

Finders, 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

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted

Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (2 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records