How severe is CVE-2019-18658?

CVE-2019-18658 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-18658 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-18658?

CVE-2019-18658 affects Helm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-18658?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-18658 published?

CVE-2019-18658 was published on 2019-11-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-18658

CVE-2019-18658 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Helm with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (75th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Helm
Published: 2019-11-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Helm 2.x before 2.15.2, commands that deal with loading a chart as a directory or packaging a chart provide an opportunity for a maliciously designed chart to include sensitive content such as /etc/passwd, or to execute a denial of service (DoS) via a special file such as /dev/urandom, via symlinks. No version of Tiller is known to be impacted. This is a client-only issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-18658?: In Helm 2.x before 2.15.2, commands that deal with loading a chart as a directory or packaging a chart provide an opportunity for a maliciously designed chart to include sensitive content such as /etc/passwd, or to execute a denial of service (DoS) via a special file such as /dev/urandom, via symlinks. No version of Tiller is known to be impacted. This is a client-only issue.
How severe is CVE-2019-18658?: CVE-2019-18658 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-18658 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (75th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-18658?: CVE-2019-18658 affects Helm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-18658?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-18658 published?: CVE-2019-18658 was published on 2019-11-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://helm.sh/blog/2019-10-30-helm-symlink-security-notice/

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:helm:helm:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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