GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7
HIGHPath traversal and dereference of symlinks in Argo CD
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/v2🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2🐹github.com/argoproj/argo-cdReal-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
Impact
All versions of Argo CD are vulnerable to a path traversal bug that allows to pass arbitrary values files to be consumed by Helm charts.
Additionally, it is possible to craft special Helm chart packages containing value files that are actually symbolic links, pointing to arbitrary files outside the repository's root directory.
If an attacker with permissions to create or update Applications knows or can guess the full path to a file containing valid YAML, they can create a malicious Helm chart to consume that YAML as values files, thereby gaining access to data they would otherwise have no access to.
The impact can especially become critical in environments that make use of encrypted value files (e.g. using plugins with git-crypt or SOPS) containing sensitive or confidential data, and decrypt these secrets to disk before rendering the Helm chart.
Also, because any error message from helm template is passed back to the user, and these error messages are quite verbose, enumeration of files on the repository server's file system is possible.
Patches
A patch for this vulnerability has been released in the following Argo CD versions:
- v2.3.0
- v2.2.4
- v2.1.9
We urge users of Argo CD to update their installation to one of the fixed versions as listed above.
Workarounds
No workaround for this issue.
References
- https://apiiro.com/blog/malicious-kubernetes-helm-charts-can-be-used-to-steal-sensitive-information-from-argo-cd-deployments
- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-24348
For more information
- Open an issue in the Argo CD issue tracker or discussions
- Join us on Slack in channel
#argo-cd
Credits
The path traversal vulnerability was discovered and reported by Moshe Zioni, VP Security Research, Apiiro.
During the development of a fix for the path traversal vulnerability, the Argo CD team discovered the related issue with symbolic links.
The Argo CD team would like to thank Moshe Zioni for the responsible disclosure, and the constructive discussions during handling this issue!
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | all versions | 2.1.9 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.4 | 2.2.4 |
| 🐹Go | github.com/argoproj/argo-cd | all versions | 2.1.9 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
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/v2. 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 github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.1.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7 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 GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7 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 GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-63qx-x74g-jcr7 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.