CVE-2025-53547 HIGH

CVE-2025-53547: Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution

Vendor Helm
Product helm
Weakness CWE-94 · Code injection
Published July 8, 2025
Last update February 26, 2026

CVSS base score

8.5/10
Attack vector Local
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required None
User interaction Required
Confidentiality Low
Integrity High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

Helm is a package manager for Charts for Kubernetes. Prior to 3.18.4, a specially crafted Chart.yaml file along with a specially linked Chart.lock file can lead to local code execution when dependencies are updated. Fields 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. This issue has been resolved in Helm v3.18.4.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

July 8, 2025 CVE published
February 26, 2026 Record updated