GCVE Workshop - 22 September 2026 (14:00-18:00), Luxembourg Before The Vulnopticon Conference - Registration

CVE-2025-53547 (GCVE-0-2025-53547)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-07-08 21:39 – Updated: 2026-02-26 17:51
VLAI
Title
Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution
Summary
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.
Severity
8.5 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
SSVC
Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: total
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2025-10-24 03:55 UTC
CWE
  • CWE-94 - Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
helm helm Affected: < 3.18.4
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-53547",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-10-24T03:55:20.328115Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-02-26T17:51:02.113Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      },
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-07-09T17:05:52.255Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44506696"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container",
        "x_generator": {
          "engine": "ADPogram 0.0.1"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "helm",
          "vendor": "helm",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 3.18.4"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "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."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "LOCAL",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 8.5,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-94",
              "description": "CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code (\u0027Code Injection\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-07-08T21:39:59.075Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm"
        },
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_MISC"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-53547",
    "datePublished": "2025-07-08T21:39:59.075Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-07-02T15:15:11.516Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-02-26T17:51:02.113Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2025-53547",
      "date": "2026-09-10",
      "epss": "0.00378",
      "percentile": "0.31176"
    },
    "microsoft_vex": {
      "current_release_date": "2026-02-18T03:06:28.000Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2025-53547",
      "id": "msrc_CVE-2025-53547",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-07-02T00:00:00.000Z",
      "product_status:fixed": "2",
      "product_status:known_affected": "2",
      "source": "Microsoft CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution",
      "url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2025/msrc_cve-2025-53547.json",
      "version": "2"
    },
    "nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2025-53547\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"published\":\"2025-07-08T22:15:27.897\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-06-17T09:38:25.540\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Analyzed\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"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.\"},{\"lang\":\"es\",\"value\":\"Helm es un gestor de paquetes para Charts para Kubernetes. Antes de la versi\u00f3n 3.18.4, un archivo Chart.yaml especialmente manipulado, junto con un archivo Chart.lock con un enlace espec\u00edfico, pod\u00eda provocar la ejecuci\u00f3n de c\u00f3digo local al actualizar las dependencias. Los campos de un archivo Chart.yaml que se transfieren a un archivo Chart.lock al actualizar las dependencias y escribirse en este archivo, pueden modificarse de forma que provoquen la ejecuci\u00f3n si ese mismo contenido estuviera en un archivo en ejecuci\u00f3n (por ejemplo, un archivo bash.rc o un script de shell). Si el archivo Chart.lock tiene un enlace simb\u00f3lico a uno de estos archivos, al actualizar las dependencias, el contenido del archivo bloqueado se escribir\u00e1 en el archivo enlazado. Esto puede provocar una ejecuci\u00f3n no deseada. Helm advierte del archivo enlazado, pero no detiene la ejecuci\u00f3n debido al enlace simb\u00f3lico. Este problema se ha resuelto en Helm v3.18.4.\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"helm\",\"product\":\"helm\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"\u003c 3.18.4\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":8.5,\"baseSeverity\":\"HIGH\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"NONE\",\"userInteraction\":\"REQUIRED\",\"scope\":\"CHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"LOW\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":6.0},{\"source\":\"nvd@nist.gov\",\"type\":\"Primary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":8.6,\"baseSeverity\":\"HIGH\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"NONE\",\"userInteraction\":\"REQUIRED\",\"scope\":\"CHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":6.0}],\"ssvcV203\":[{\"source\":\"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0\",\"ssvcData\":{\"timestamp\":\"2025-10-24T03:55:20.328115Z\",\"id\":\"CVE-2025-53547\",\"options\":[{\"exploitation\":\"none\"},{\"automatable\":\"no\"},{\"technicalImpact\":\"total\"}],\"role\":\"CISA Coordinator\",\"version\":\"2.0.3\"}}]},\"weaknesses\":[{\"source\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"description\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"CWE-94\"}]}],\"configurations\":[{\"nodes\":[{\"operator\":\"OR\",\"negate\":false,\"cpeMatch\":[{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:a:helm:helm:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"versionEndExcluding\":\"3.17.4\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"9DD30189-318F-4401-AED5-0A45EBDF8763\"},{\"vulnerable\":true,\"criteria\":\"cpe:2.3:a:helm:helm:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*\",\"versionStartIncluding\":\"3.18.0\",\"versionEndExcluding\":\"3.18.4\",\"matchCriteriaId\":\"24A3B062-2A69-4083-AE07-83F0FE989512\"}]}]}],\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571\",\"source\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"tags\":[\"Patch\"]},{\"url\":\"https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm\",\"source\":\"security-advisories@github.com\",\"tags\":[\"Third Party Advisory\"]},{\"url\":\"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44506696\",\"source\":\"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108\",\"tags\":[\"Issue Tracking\"]}]}}",
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Important",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-09T11:42:51+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2025-53547",
      "id": "CVE-2025-53547",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-07-08T21:39:59.075000+00:00",
      "product_status:fixed": "97",
      "product_status:known_affected": "37",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "2030",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "helm.sh/helm/v3: Helm Chart Code Execution",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-53547.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": "{\"adp\": [{\"title\": \"CVE Program Container\", \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44506696\"}], \"x_generator\": {\"engine\": \"ADPogram 0.0.1\"}, \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108\", \"shortName\": \"CVE\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2025-07-09T17:05:52.255Z\"}}, {\"title\": \"CISA ADP Vulnrichment\", \"metrics\": [{\"other\": {\"type\": \"ssvc\", \"content\": {\"id\": \"CVE-2025-53547\", \"role\": \"CISA Coordinator\", \"options\": [{\"Exploitation\": \"none\"}, {\"Automatable\": \"no\"}, {\"Technical Impact\": \"total\"}], \"version\": \"2.0.3\", \"timestamp\": \"2025-07-09T13:26:40.496995Z\"}}}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0\", \"shortName\": \"CISA-ADP\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2025-07-09T13:26:44.941Z\"}}], \"cna\": {\"title\": \"Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution\", \"source\": {\"advisory\": \"GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm\", \"discovery\": \"UNKNOWN\"}, \"metrics\": [{\"cvssV3_1\": {\"scope\": \"CHANGED\", \"version\": \"3.1\", \"baseScore\": 8.5, \"attackVector\": \"LOCAL\", \"baseSeverity\": \"HIGH\", \"vectorString\": \"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H\", \"integrityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"userInteraction\": \"REQUIRED\", \"attackComplexity\": \"LOW\", \"availabilityImpact\": \"HIGH\", \"privilegesRequired\": \"NONE\", \"confidentialityImpact\": \"LOW\"}}], \"affected\": [{\"vendor\": \"helm\", \"product\": \"helm\", \"versions\": [{\"status\": \"affected\", \"version\": \"\u003c 3.18.4\"}]}], \"references\": [{\"url\": \"https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm\", \"name\": \"https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm\", \"tags\": [\"x_refsource_CONFIRM\"]}, {\"url\": \"https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571\", \"name\": \"https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571\", \"tags\": [\"x_refsource_MISC\"]}], \"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"value\": \"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.\"}], \"problemTypes\": [{\"descriptions\": [{\"lang\": \"en\", \"type\": \"CWE\", \"cweId\": \"CWE-94\", \"description\": \"CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code (\u0027Code Injection\u0027)\"}]}], \"providerMetadata\": {\"orgId\": \"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa\", \"shortName\": \"GitHub_M\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2025-07-08T21:39:59.075Z\"}}}",
      "cveMetadata": "{\"cveId\": \"CVE-2025-53547\", \"state\": \"PUBLISHED\", \"dateUpdated\": \"2025-10-24T03:55:19.650Z\", \"dateReserved\": \"2025-07-02T15:15:11.516Z\", \"assignerOrgId\": \"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa\", \"datePublished\": \"2025-07-08T21:39:59.075Z\", \"assignerShortName\": \"GitHub_M\"}",
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.1"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.