CVE-2025-53547: Helm.sh/helm/v3 Helm Vulnerable To Code Injection Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2025-53547 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.5) helm vulnerable to code injection vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Helm.sh/helm/v3 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves helm vulnerable to code injection through malicious chart.yaml content. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.18.4, 3.17.4.
CVE-2025-53547 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 8.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2025-53547
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.
Upgrade helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.18.4Upgrade helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.17.4Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for helm.sh/helm/v3How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-53547, inspect your project dependencies for Helm.sh/helm/v3:
inspect dependencies for helm.sh/helm/v3Analyze 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 3.18.4), 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. 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
CVE-2025-53547 Affected Helm.sh/helm/v3 Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
helm.sh/helm/v3
|
Go |
≥ 3.18.0-rc.1
< 3.18.4
|
3.18.4
|
|
helm.sh/helm/v3
|
Go |
< 3.17.4
|
3.17.4
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2025-53547?
Which Helm.sh/helm/v3 versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2025-53547?
Is helm.sh/helm/v3 affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-53547?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-53547?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2025-53547?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm",
"modified" : "2025-07-16T21:10:13Z",
"published" : "2025-07-08T23:20:54Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-53547" ],
"summary" : "Helm vulnerable to Code Injection through malicious chart.yaml content",
"details" : "A Helm contributor discovered that a specially crafted `Chart.yaml` file along with a specially linked `Chart.lock` file can lead to local code execution when dependencies are updated.\n\n### Impact\n\nFields 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.\n\nThis affects when dependencies are updated. When using the `helm` command this happens when `helm dependency update` is run. `helm dependency build` can write a lock file when one does not exist but this vector requires one to already exist. This affects the Helm SDK when the downloader `Manager` performs an update.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue has been resolved in Helm v3.18.4\n\n### Workarounds\n\nEnsure the `Chart.lock` file in a chart is not a symlink prior to updating dependencies.\n\n### For more information\n\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\n\nDisclosed by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "helm.sh/helm/v3"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "3.18.0-rc.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "3.18.4"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "helm.sh/helm/v3"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "3.17.4"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-557j-xg8c-q2mm"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53547"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/4b8e61093d8f579f1165cdc6bd4b43fa5455f571"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44506696"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2025-07-08T23:20:54Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2025-07-08T22:15:27Z"
}
}