Summary
The Helm core maintainers have identified an information disclosure vulnerability in Helm 3.0.0-3.1.2.
This issue has been fixed in Helm 3.2.0
Workarounds
Due to another bug (also fixed in Helm 3.2.0), the command helm lint will fail with an error if the lookup function is used in a chart. Therefore, run helm lint on an untrusted chart before running helm template.
Alternately, setting the KUBECONFIG environment variable to point to an empty Kubernetes configuration file will prevent unintended network connections.
Finally, a chart may be manually analyzed for the presence of a lookup function in any file in the templates/ directory.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Helm repository
- For security-specific issues, email us at [email protected]
Impact
lookup is a Helm template function introduced in Helm v3. It is able to lookup resources in the cluster to check for the existence of specific resources and get details about them. This can be used as part of the process to render templates.
The documented behavior of helm template states that it does not attach to a remote cluster. However, as the recently added lookup template function circumvents this restriction and connects to the cluster even during helm template and helm install|update|delete|rollback --dry-run. The user is not notified of this behavior.
Running helm template should not make calls to a cluster. This is different from install, which is presumed to have access to a cluster in order to load resources into Kubernetes. Helm 2 is unaffected by this vulnerability.
A malicious chart author could inject a lookup into a chart that, when rendered through helm template, performs unannounced lookups against the cluster a user's KUBECONFIG file points to. This information can then be disclosed via the output of helm template.
CVE-2020-11013 has a CVSS score of 8.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.1.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-11013? CVE-2020-11013 is a high-severity security vulnerability in helm.sh/helm/v3 (go), affecting versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.1.3. It is fixed in 3.1.3.
- How severe is CVE-2020-11013? CVE-2020-11013 has a CVSS score of 8.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of helm.sh/helm/v3 are affected by CVE-2020-11013? helm.sh/helm/v3 (go) versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.1.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-11013? Yes. CVE-2020-11013 is fixed in 3.1.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-11013 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-11013 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2020-11013 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2020-11013? Upgrade
helm.sh/helm/v3to 3.1.3 or later.