CVE-2020-15185 is a low-severity (CVSS 2.7) CWE-74 vulnerability in helm.sh/helm/v3. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2020-15185 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Repository index file allows for duplicates of the same chart entry in helm
Real-World Exposure
helm.sh/helm/v3🐹helm.sh/helmReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
In Helm before versions 2.16.11 and 3.3.2, a Helm repository can contain duplicates of the same chart, with the last one always used. If a repository is compromised, this lowers the level of access that an attacker needs to inject a bad chart into a repository. To perform this attack, an attacker must have write access to the index file (which can occur during a MITM attack on a non-SSL connection). This issue has been patched in Helm 3.3.2 and 2.16.11. A possible workaround is to manually review the index file in the Helm repository cache before installing software.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | helm.sh/helm/v3 | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.3.2 | 3.3.2 |
| 🐹Go | helm.sh/helm | all versions | 2.16.11 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for helm.sh/helm/v3. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update helm.sh/helm/v3 to 3.3.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-15185 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2020-15185 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2020-15185. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-15185 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2020-15185 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.