Summary
Helm is a package manager for Charts for Kubernetes. In Helm versions >=4.0.0 and <=4.1.3, Helm will install plugins missing provenance (.prov file) when signature verification is required.
Workarounds
Users may manually validate that a plugin archive is not missing provenance data (.prov file) before installation.
Impact
The bug allows plugin authors to omit provenance (signing) data from plugins, bypassing plugin signature verification upon plugin install/update.
Notably, plugin hooks will be executed as designed on the installed plugin, enabling a malicious plugin to execute arbitrary code.
CVE-2026-35205 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (4.1.4); 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
This issue has been patched in Helm v4.1.4
Installing/updating a plugin with missing provenance will error if signature verification is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-35205? CVE-2026-35205 is a high-severity security vulnerability in helm.sh/helm/v4 (go), affecting versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.3. It is fixed in 4.1.4.
- How severe is CVE-2026-35205? CVE-2026-35205 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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/v4 are affected by CVE-2026-35205? helm.sh/helm/v4 (go) versions >= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-35205? Yes. CVE-2026-35205 is fixed in 4.1.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-35205 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-35205 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-2026-35205 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-2026-35205? Upgrade
helm.sh/helm/v4to 4.1.4 or later.