CVE-2025-53547: Helm Chart Dependency Updating With Malicious Chart.yaml Content And Symlink Can Lead To Code Execution

A Helm contributor discovered that a specially crafted `Chart.yaml` file along with a specially linked `Chart.lock` file can lead to local code execution when dependencies are updated. ### Impact Fields in a `Chart.yaml` file, that are carried over to a `Chart.lock` file when dependencies are updated and this file is written, can be crafted in a way that can cause execution if that same content were in a file that is executed (e.g., a `bash.rc` file or shell script). If the `Chart.lock` file is symlinked to one of these files updating dependencies will write the lock file content to the symlinked file. This can lead to unwanted execution. Helm warns of the symlinked file but did not stop execution due to symlinking. This affects when dependencies are updated. When using the `helm` command this happens when `helm dependency update` is run. `helm dependency build` can write a lock file when one does not exist but this vector requires one to already exist. This affects the Helm SDK when the downloader `Manager` performs an update. ### Patches This issue has been resolved in Helm v3.18.4 ### Workarounds Ensure the `Chart.lock` file in a chart is not a symlink prior to updating dependencies. ### For more information Helm's security policy is spelled out in detail in our [SECURITY](https://github.com/helm/community/blob/master/SECURITY.md) document. ### Credits Disclosed by Jakub Ciolek at AlphaSense.