What is CVE-2022-36049?

CVE-2022-36049 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go), affecting versions >= 0.0.4, < 0.23.0. It is fixed in 0.23.0, 0.32.0. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.

How severe is CVE-2022-36049?

CVE-2022-36049 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (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 packages are affected by CVE-2022-36049?

github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go) versions >= 0.0.4, = 0.0.17, < 0.32.0.

Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36049?

Yes. CVE-2022-36049 is fixed in 0.23.0, 0.32.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2022-36049 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-36049 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2022-36049 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.

CVE-2022-36049 in github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller

Q: How severe is CVE-2022-36049?

CVE-2022-36049 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (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.

Q: Which packages are affected by CVE-2022-36049?

github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go) versions >= 0.0.4, = 0.0.17, < 0.32.0.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36049?

Yes. CVE-2022-36049 is fixed in 0.23.0, 0.32.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2022-36049 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2022-36049 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2022-36049 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2022-36049?

Upgrade: github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.23.0 or later, github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.32.0 or later.

Summary

Helm Controller denial of service

Helm controller is tightly integrated with the Helm SDK. A vulnerability found in the Helm SDK allows for specific data inputs to cause high memory consumption, which in some platforms could cause the controller to panic and stop processing reconciliations.

Credits

The initial crash bug was reported by oss-fuzz. The Flux Security team produced the first exploit and worked together with the Helm Security team to ensure that both projects were patched timely.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Open an issue in any of the affected repositories.
Contact us at the CNCF Flux Channel.

References

Impact

In a shared cluster multi-tenancy environment, a tenant could create a HelmRelease that makes the controller panic, denying all other tenants from their Helm releases being reconciled.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2022-36049 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (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 (0.23.0, 0.32.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (>= 0.0.4, < 0.23.0) github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (>= 0.0.17, < 0.32.0)

Security releases

github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller → 0.23.0 (go) github.com/fluxcd/flux2 → 0.32.0 (go)

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.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.23.0 or later; github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.32.0 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-36049? CVE-2022-36049 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go), affecting versions >= 0.0.4, < 0.23.0. It is fixed in 0.23.0, 0.32.0. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
How severe is CVE-2022-36049? CVE-2022-36049 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (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 packages are affected by CVE-2022-36049?
- github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller (go) (versions >= 0.0.4, < 0.23.0)
- github.com/fluxcd/flux2 (go) (versions >= 0.0.17, < 0.32.0)
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-36049? Yes. CVE-2022-36049 is fixed in 0.23.0, 0.32.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2022-36049 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-36049 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-2022-36049 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-2022-36049?
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller to 0.23.0 or later
- Upgrade github.com/fluxcd/flux2 to 0.32.0 or later

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/fluxcd/helm-controller

CVE-IDSeverityPackage summary

CVE-2022-39272Mediumgithub.com/fluxcd/flux2: Improper use of metav1.Duration allows for Denial of Service CVE-2022-24817Criticalgithub.com/fluxcd/flux2: Improper kubeconfig validation allows arbitrary code execution