CVE-2022-23525

Fuzz testing, by Ada Logics and sponsored by the CNCF, identified input to functions in the _repo_ package that can cause a segmentation violation. Applications that use functions from the _repo_ package in the Helm SDK can have a Denial of Service attack when they use this package and it panics.

Workarounds

SDK users can validate index files that are correctly formatted before passing them to the _repo_ functions.

For more information

Helm's security policy is spelled out in detail in our SECURITY document.

Credits

Disclosed by Ada Logics in a fuzzing audit sponsored by CNCF.

The _repo_ package contains a handler that processes the index file of a repository. For example, the Helm client adds references to chart repositories where charts are managed. The _repo_ package parses the index file of the repository and loads it into structures Go can work with. Some index files can cause array data structures to be created causing a memory violation.

Applications that use the _repo_ package in the Helm SDK to parse an index file can suffer a Denial of Service when that input causes a panic that cannot be recovered from.

The Helm Client will panic with an index file that causes a memory violation panic. Helm is not a long running service so the panic will not affect future uses of the Helm client.

The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash. Typical impact: denial of service via crash.

CVE-2022-23525 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (3.10.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This issue has been resolved in 3.10.3.

1. What is CVE-2022-23525? CVE-2022-23525 is a medium-severity null pointer dereference vulnerability in helm.sh/helm/v3 (go), affecting versions < 3.10.3. It is fixed in 3.10.3. The application dereferences a null pointer, causing a crash.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-23525? CVE-2022-23525 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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.
3. Which versions of helm.sh/helm/v3 are affected by CVE-2022-23525? helm.sh/helm/v3 (go) versions < 3.10.3 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23525? Yes. CVE-2022-23525 is fixed in 3.10.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-23525 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23525 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-23525 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-23525? Upgrade helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.10.3 or later.