CVE-2023-40026
MEDIUMPath traversal allows leaking out-of-bound Helm charts from Argo CD repo-server
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2Real-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
Argo CD is a declarative continuous deployment framework for Kubernetes. In Argo CD versions prior to 2.3 (starting at least in v0.1.0, but likely in any version using Helm before 2.3), using a specifically-crafted Helm file could reference external Helm charts handled by the same repo-server to leak values, or files from the referenced Helm Chart. This was possible because Helm paths were predictable. The vulnerability worked by adding a Helm chart that referenced Helm resources from predictable paths. Because the paths of Helm charts were predictable and available on an instance of repo-server, it was possible to reference and then render the values and resources from other existing Helm charts regardless of permissions. While generally, secrets are not stored in these files, it was nevertheless possible to reference any values from these charts. This issue was fixed in Argo CD 2.3 and subsequent versions by randomizing Helm paths. User's still using Argo CD 2.3 or below are advised to update to a supported version. If this is not possible, disabling Helm chart rendering, or using an additional repo-server for each Helm chart would prevent possible exploitation.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd | all versions | No fix |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | all versions | 2.3.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd. 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
No patched version of github.com/argoproj/argo-cd has shipped for CVE-2023-40026 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
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-2023-40026 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-2023-40026. 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-2023-40026 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-40026 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.