CVE-2021-21303
Injection attack in Helm
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.9
Injection attack in Helm
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
CVE-2021-21303- CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-1306
5.9
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
EUVD-2021-1306- CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-c38g-469g-cmgx
6.5
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output in helm.sh/helm/v3
Since Helm 2 was released, a well-documented aspect of Helm is that the Helm chart's version number MUST follow the SemVer2 specification. In the past, Helm would not permit charts with malformed versions. At some point, a patch was merged that changed this - On a version parse error, the version number was simply passed along as-is. This provided a vector for malicious data to be injected into Helm and potentially used in various ways.
Core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen.
Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields.
All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade.
Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
Patches
This issue has been resolved in Helm 3.5.2.
While this fix does not constitute a breaking change, as all field formatting is now enforced as documented, it is possible that charts that were mistakenly allowed (but invalid) may no longer be available in search indexes. Specifically, malformed SemVer versions are no longer supported. This has always been the documented case, but it is true that malformed versions were allowed.
Note that this is the first security release since Helm 2's final deprecation. Helm 2 was not audited for vulnerability to this issue, and should be assumed vulnerable.
- Record
GHSA-c38g-469g-cmgx- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.9
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
CVE-2021-21303- CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.5 Low
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2021-21303
6.8
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
ALPINE-CVE-2021-21303- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSVAZL-6470
6.8
CVE-2021-21303 affecting package helm for versions less than 3.4.1-4
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
AZL-6470- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Show 5 moreShow less
OSV
6.8
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
CVE-2021-21303- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-c38g-469g-cmgx
6.5
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output in helm.sh/helm/v3
Since Helm 2 was released, a well-documented aspect of Helm is that the Helm chart's version number MUST follow the SemVer2 specification. In the past, Helm would not permit charts with malformed versions. At some point, a patch was merged that changed this - On a version parse error, the version number was simply passed along as-is. This provided a vector for malicious data to be injected into Helm and potentially used in various ways.
Core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen.
Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields.
All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade.
Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
Patches
This issue has been resolved in Helm 3.5.2.
While this fix does not constitute a breaking change, as all field formatting is now enforced as documented, it is possible that charts that were mistakenly allowed (but invalid) may no longer be available in search indexes. Specifically, malformed SemVer versions are no longer supported. This has always been the documented case, but it is true that malformed versions were allowed.
Note that this is the first security release since Helm 2's final deprecation. Helm 2 was not audited for vulnerability to this issue, and should be assumed vulnerable.
- Record
GHSA-c38g-469g-cmgx- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2021-21303
5.9
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2021-21303- CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-helm-2021-21303 No score
Injection attack in Helm
Helm is open-source software which is essentially "The Kubernetes Package Manager". Helm is a tool for managing Charts. Charts are packages of pre-configured Kubernetes resources. In Helm from version 3.0 and before version 3.5.2, there a few cases where data loaded from potentially untrusted sources was not properly sanitized. When a SemVer in the version field of a chart is invalid, in some cases Helm allows the string to be used "as is" without sanitizing. Helm fails to properly sanitized some fields present on Helm repository index.yaml files. Helm does not properly sanitized some fields in the plugin.yaml file for plugins In some cases, Helm does not properly sanitize the fields in the Chart.yaml file. By exploiting these attack vectors, core maintainers were able to send deceptive information to a terminal screen running the helm command, as well as obscure or alter information on the screen. In some cases, we could send codes that terminals used to execute higher-order logic, like clearing a terminal screen. Further, during evaluation, the Helm maintainers discovered a few other fields that were not properly sanitized when read out of repository index files. This fix remedies all such cases, and once again enforces SemVer2 policies on version fields. All users of the Helm 3 should upgrade to the fixed version 3.5.2 or later. Those who use Helm as a library should verify that they either sanitize this data on their own, or use the proper Helm API calls to sanitize the data.
- Record
BIT-helm-2021-21303- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGO-2022-1040 No score
Insufficient sanitization of data files in helm.sh/helm/v3
Helm does not sanitize all fields read from repository data files. A maliciously crafted data file may contain strings containing arbitrary data. If printed to a terminal, a malicious string could obscure or alter data on the screen.
- Record
GO-2022-1040- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
helm.sh/helm/v3Go |
3.0.0 up to 3.5.2 | 3.5.2 |
helmAlpine:v3.17 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.18 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.19 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.20 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.21 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.22 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.23 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAlpine:v3.24 |
3.0.0 up to 3.6.0-r0 | 3.6.0-r0 |
helmAzure Linux:2 |
before 3.4.1-4 | 3.4.1-4 |
Show 9 moreShow less
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
helmBitnami |
3.0.0 up to 3.5.2 | 3.5.2 |
helmUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.9.1-11.9.2-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.8.2-12.8.5-12.8.6-12.8.7-12.8.8-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.2-13.5.0-33.6.0-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.7.0-23.8.0-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.8.4-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.8.4-24.0.3-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.0.6-34.0.7-1 |
None known |
helmUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.0.3-14.0.6-14.0.6-24.0.6-3 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-21303 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Helm, published February 5, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.09%, the 65th percentile. Fixed in helm.sh/helm/v3 3.5.2.