CVE-2020-15186: Helm.sh/helm/v3 Improper Sanitizing Of Plugin Names Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m54r-vrmv-hw33
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CVSS 3.4
CWE-20 CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-15186 is a LOW (CVSS 3.4) improper sanitizing of plugin names vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Helm.sh/helm/v3 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves improper sanitizing of plugin names in helm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.2, 2.16.11.

CVE-2020-15186 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-15186
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m54r-vrmv-hw33
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.4
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Helm.sh/helm/v3
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.4

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-15186

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-2020-15186, 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. 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 Security researchers at Trail of Bits discovered that plugin names are not sanitized properly. As a result, a malicious plugin author could use characters in a plugin name that would result in unexpected behavior, such as duplicating the name of another plugin or spoofing the output to `helm --help`. ### Specific Go Packages Affected helm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/plugin ### Patches This issue has been patched in Helm 3.3.2. ### Workarounds Do not install untrusted Helm plugins. Examine the `name` field in the `plugin.yaml` file for a plugin, looking for characters outside of the [a-zA-Z0-9._-] range.

CVE-2020-15186 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-m54r-vrmv-hw33
NVD — CVE-2020-15186 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15186
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/809e2d999e2c33e20e77f6bff30652d79c287542
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/c8d6b01d72c9604e43ee70d0d78fadd54c2d8499
Helm.sh/helm/v3 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/helm/helm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-15186?
CVE-2020-15186 is a security vulnerability in Helm.sh/helm/v3 involving Improper Sanitizing of plugin names in helm under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
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-2020-15186?
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-2020-15186?
CVE-2020-15186 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.4 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-15186?
CVE-2020-15186 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2020-15186?
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-m54r-vrmv-hw33",
  "modified" : "2023-10-02T14:09:08Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-24T16:57:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-15186" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Sanitizing of plugin names in helm",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nSecurity researchers at Trail of Bits discovered that plugin names are not sanitized properly. As a result, a malicious plugin author could use characters in a plugin name that would result in unexpected behavior, such as duplicating the name of another plugin or spoofing the output to `helm --help`.\n\n### Specific Go Packages Affected\nhelm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/plugin\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue has been patched in Helm 3.3.2.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nDo not install untrusted Helm plugins. Examine the `name` field in the `plugin.yaml` file for a plugin, looking for characters outside of the [a-zA-Z0-9._-] range.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/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-m54r-vrmv-hw33"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15186"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/809e2d999e2c33e20e77f6bff30652d79c287542"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/c8d6b01d72c9604e43ee70d0d78fadd54c2d8499"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/helm/helm"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-24T16:45:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-09-17T22:15:00Z"
  }
}