CVE-2025-32386: Helm.sh/helm/v3 Helm Allows A Specially Crafted Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4hfp-h4cw-hj8p
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-789 CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-32386 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) helm allows a specially crafted vulnerability (CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value) affecting Helm.sh/helm/v3 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves helm allows a specially crafted chart archive to cause out of memory termination. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.17.3.

CVE-2025-32386 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-32386
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4hfp-h4cw-hj8p
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value
Affected Product Helm.sh/helm/v3
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2025-32386

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Helm.sh/helm/v3 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

helm.sh/helm/v3 fixed: 3.17.3 
Upgrade helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.17.3
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for helm.sh/helm/v3

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-32386, inspect your project dependencies for Helm.sh/helm/v3:

inspect dependencies for helm.sh/helm/v3

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Helm.sh/helm/v3 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.17.3), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value, where the product allocates memory based on an untrusted, large size value, but it does not ensure that the size is within expected limits, allowing arbitrary amounts of memory to be allocated. In Helm.sh/helm/v3, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A Helm contributor discovered that a specially crafted chart archive file can cause Helm to use all available memory and have an out of memory (OOM) termination. ### Impact A chart archive file can be crafted in a manner where it expands to be significantly larger uncompressed than compressed (e.g., >800x difference). When Helm loads this specially crafted chart, memory can be exhausted causing the application to terminate. ### Patches This issue has been resolved in Helm v3.17.3. ### Workarounds Ensure that any chart archive files being loaded by Helm do not contain files that are large enough to cause the Helm Client or SDK to use up available memory leading to a termination. ### For more information Helm's security policy is spelled out in detail in our [SECURITY](https://github.com/helm/community/blob/master/SECURITY.md) document. ### Credits Disclosed by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.

CVE-2025-32386 Affected Helm.sh/helm/v3 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.17.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
helm.sh/helm/v3
golang/helm.sh/helm/v3
Go
< 3.17.3
3.17.3

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-4hfp-h4cw-hj8p
NVD — CVE-2025-32386 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-32386
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/d8ca55fc669645c10c0681d49723f4bb8c0b1ce7
Helm.sh/helm/v3 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/helm/helm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-32386?
CVE-2025-32386 is a security vulnerability in Helm.sh/helm/v3 involving Helm Allows A Specially Crafted Chart Archive To Cause Out Of Memory Termination under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value.
Which Helm.sh/helm/v3 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.17.3 across affected packages: helm.sh/helm/v3.
What version fixes CVE-2025-32386?
Upgrading to 3.17.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is helm.sh/helm/v3 affected?
Yes, helm.sh/helm/v3 is affected in releases prior to 3.17.3. Upgrade your dependency to 3.17.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-32386?
CVE-2025-32386 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-32386?
CVE-2025-32386 is classified under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value (The product allocates memory based on an untrusted, large size value, but it does not ensure that the size is within expected limits, allowing arbitrary amounts of memory to be allocated.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-32386?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for helm.sh/helm/v3'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-4hfp-h4cw-hj8p",
  "modified" : "2025-04-10T13:48:05Z",
  "published" : "2025-04-10T13:48:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-32386" ],
  "summary" : "Helm Allows A Specially Crafted Chart Archive To Cause Out Of Memory Termination",
  "details" : "A Helm contributor discovered that a specially crafted chart archive file can cause Helm to use all available memory and have an out of memory (OOM) termination.\n\n### Impact\nA chart archive file can be crafted in a manner where it expands to be significantly larger uncompressed than compressed (e.g., >800x difference). When Helm loads this specially crafted chart, memory can be exhausted causing the application to terminate.\n\n### Patches\nThis issue has been resolved in Helm v3.17.3.\n\n### Workarounds\nEnsure that any chart archive files being loaded by Helm do not contain files that are large enough to cause the Helm Client or SDK to use up available memory leading to a termination.\n\n### For more information\nHelm's security policy is spelled out in detail in our [SECURITY](https://github.com/helm/community/blob/master/SECURITY.md) document.\n\n### Credits\nDisclosed by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "helm.sh/helm/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.17.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-4hfp-h4cw-hj8p"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-32386"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/d8ca55fc669645c10c0681d49723f4bb8c0b1ce7"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-770", "CWE-789" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-04-10T13:48:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-04-09T23:15:37Z"
  }
}