CVE-2020-15185: Helm.sh/helm/v3 Repository Index File Allows For Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jm56-5h66-w453
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CVSS 2.2
CWE-694 CWE-20 CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-15185 is a LOW (CVSS 2.2) repository index file allows for vulnerability (CWE-694: Use of Multiple Resources with Duplicate Identifier) affecting Helm.sh/helm/v3 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves repository index file allows for duplicates of the same chart entry in helm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.2, 2.16.11.

CVE-2020-15185 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-15185
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jm56-5h66-w453
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 2.2
CWE Classification CWE-694: Use of Multiple Resources with Duplicate Identifier
Affected Product Helm.sh/helm/v3
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 2.2

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-15185

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: 3.3.2 
Upgrade helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.3.2
helm.sh/helm fixed: 2.16.11 
Upgrade helm.sh/helm to 2.16.11
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-2020-15185, 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 3.3.2), 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-694: Use of Multiple Resources with Duplicate Identifier, where the product uses multiple resources that can have the same identifier, in a context in which unique identifiers are required. 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

### Impact During a security audit of Helm's code base, security researchers at Trail of Bits identified a bug in which the a Helm repository can contain duplicates of the same chart, with the last one always used. If a repository is compromised, this lowers the level of access that an attacker needs to inject a bad chart into a repository. To perform this attack, an attacker must have write access to the index file (which can occur during a MITM attack on a non-SSL connection). ### Specific Go Packages Affected helm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/repo ### Patches This issue has been patched in Helm 3.3.2 and 2.16.11 ### Workarounds - do not install charts from repositories you do not trust - fetch charts using a secure channel of communication (such as TLS) - use `helm pull` to fetch the chart, then review the chart’s content (either manually, or with `helm verify` if it has been signed) to ensure it has not been tampered with - manually review the index file in the Helm repository cache before installing software.

CVE-2020-15185 Affected Helm.sh/helm/v3 Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.22.16.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
helm.sh/helm/v3
golang/helm.sh/helm/v3
Go
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.3.2
3.3.2
helm.sh/helm
golang/helm.sh/helm
Go
< 2.16.11
2.16.11

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-jm56-5h66-w453
NVD — CVE-2020-15185 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15185
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/055dd41cbe53ce131ab0357524a7f6729e6e40dc
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/6aab63765f99050b115f0aec3d6350c85e8da946

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-15185?
CVE-2020-15185 is a security vulnerability in Helm.sh/helm/v3 involving Repository index file allows for duplicates of the same chart entry in helm under CWE-694: Use of Multiple Resources with Duplicate Identifier.
Which Helm.sh/helm/v3 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.2, 2.16.11 across affected packages: helm.sh/helm/v3, helm.sh/helm.
What version fixes CVE-2020-15185?
Upgrading to 3.3.2, 2.16.11 (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 3.3.2. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.2 or later.
Is helm.sh/helm affected?
Yes, helm.sh/helm is affected in releases prior to 2.16.11. Upgrade your dependency to 2.16.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-15185?
CVE-2020-15185 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 2.2 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-15185?
CVE-2020-15185 is classified under CWE-694: Use of Multiple Resources with Duplicate Identifier (The product uses multiple resources that can have the same identifier, in a context in which unique identifiers are required.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2020-15185?
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-jm56-5h66-w453",
  "modified" : "2023-10-02T13:35:50Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-24T16:57:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-15185" ],
  "summary" : "Repository index file allows for duplicates of the same chart entry in helm",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nDuring a security audit of Helm's code base, security researchers at Trail of Bits identified a bug in which the a Helm repository can contain duplicates of the same chart, with the last one always used. If a repository is compromised, this lowers the level of access that an attacker needs to inject a bad chart into a repository.\n\nTo perform this attack, an attacker must have write access to the index file (which can occur during a MITM attack on a non-SSL connection).\n\n### Specific Go Packages Affected\nhelm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/repo\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue has been patched in Helm 3.3.2 and 2.16.11\n\n### Workarounds\n\n- do not install charts from repositories you do not trust\n- fetch charts using a secure channel of communication (such as TLS)\n- use `helm pull` to fetch the chart, then review the chart’s content (either manually, or with `helm verify` if it has been signed) to ensure it has not been tampered with\n- manually review the index file in the Helm repository cache before installing software.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "helm.sh/helm/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "helm.sh/helm"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.16.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-jm56-5h66-w453"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15185"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/055dd41cbe53ce131ab0357524a7f6729e6e40dc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/6aab63765f99050b115f0aec3d6350c85e8da946"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-694", "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-24T16:47:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-09-17T22:15:00Z"
  }
}