Description
In Helm before versions 2.16.11 and 3.3.2, a Helm plugin can contain duplicates of the same entry, with the last one always used. If a plugin is compromised, this lowers the level of access that an attacker needs to modify a plugin's install hooks, causing a local execution attack.
To perform this attack, an attacker must have write access to the git repository or plugin archive (.tgz) while being downloaded (which can occur during a MITM attack on a non-SSL connection). This issue has been patched in Helm 2.16.11 and Helm 3.3.2.
As a possible workaround make sure to install plugins using a secure connection protocol like SSL.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| helm | helm | >= 2.0.0, < 2.16.11, >= 3.0.0, < 3.3.2 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP1 | kubernetes | 1.17.13-4.21.2 | SUSE-SU-2020:3760-1 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | helm.sh/helm | >= 2.0.0, < 2.16.11 | 2.16.11 | GHSA-c52f-pq47-2r9j |
| Go | helm.sh/helm/v3 | >= 3.0.0, < 3.3.2 | 3.3.2 | GHSA-c52f-pq47-2r9j |
Advisories 1
- SUSE-SU-2020:3760-1 Security changes in Kubernetes, etcd, and helm; Bugfix in cri-o package SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- https://github.com/helm/helm/security/advisories/GHSA-c52f-pq47-2r9j
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/6aab63765f99050b115f0aec3d6350c85e8da946
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/ac7c07c37d87e09797f714fb57aa5e9cb99d9450
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/b0296c0522e837d65f944beefa3fb64fd08ac304
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/c8d6b01d72c9604e43ee70d0d78fadd54c2d8499
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/d9ef5ce8bad512e325390c0011be1244b8380e4b
- https://github.com/helm/helm/commit/f2ede29480b507b7d8bb152dd8b6b86248b00658