dbcve.org
HelmApplication

CVE-2019-25210

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-03-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered in Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Helm through 3.13.3. It displays values of secrets when the --dry-run flag is used. This is a security concern in some use cases, such as a --dry-run call by a CI/CD tool. NOTE: the vendor's position is that this behavior was introduced intentionally, and cannot be removed without breaking backwards compatibility (some users may be relying on these values). Also, it is not the Helm Project's responsibility if a user decides to use --dry-run within a CI/CD environment whose output is visible to unauthorized persons.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Helm's --dry-run flag intentionally outputs all values including secrets to stdout. This behavior can expose sensitive information when used in CI/CD pipelines or other environments where output may be visible to unauthorized parties, representing a confidentiality breach with CVSS 6.5.

MitigationAvoid using helm --dry-run in CI/CD pipelines or environments with exposed output. Use alternative approaches such as helm template for local validation or ensure dry-run output is never visible to unauthorized personnel.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
HelmApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Helm installation and version
    Run 'helm version' to see if Helm is installed. Since this affects all versions, note the version for reference.
    Affected if Helm is installed - this is a design issue affecting all versions
  2. Find CI/CD pipeline configurations using --dry-run
    Search for '--dry-run' in YAML files in common CI/CD directories: .github/workflows/, .gitlab-ci.yml, Jenkinsfiles, .travis.yml, azure-pipelines.yml, or similar. Use grep -r '--dry-run' /path/to/pipelines/
    Affected if The flag is used in any CI/CD pipeline configuration files
  3. Check for --dry-run in shell scripts or automation
    Search for 'helm.*--dry-run' in shell scripts, Ansible playbooks, Terraform files, or other automation: grep -r 'helm.*--dry-run' /path/to/scripts/
    Affected if Helm --dry-run commands appear in any scripts or automation files
  4. Assess output exposure risk
    Review pipeline logs, artifacts storage, and job output visibility settings. Check if pipelines are public, logs are exposed, or output is stored in accessible locations.
    Affected if The --dry-run output could be visible to unauthorized parties through logs, artifacts, or shared output locations

If Helm is installed and --dry-run is used in any environment where output may be logged, stored, or visible to unauthorized users, the environment is affected by this information disclosure vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Avoid using helm --dry-run in CI/CD pipelines or environments with exposed output. Use alternative approaches such as helm template for local validation or ensure dry-run output is never visible to unauthorized personnel.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. This is a known limitation with no fix available. The Helm project has explicitly stated they will not change this behavior as it would break backwards compatibility.
  2. If using Helm in CI/CD pipelines, ensure the pipeline output is not visible to unauthorized persons.
  3. Consider using Helm's --dry-run in isolated, secure environments only.
  4. Review your CI/CD pipeline permissions and visibility settings to prevent unauthorized access to Helm output.
Caveat The Helm project has stated this behavior cannot be changed without breaking backwards compatibility, as some users rely on this functionality.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Helm Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-25210 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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