Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconAttacker obtains repository write access
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DeliveryCraft Chart.yaml with shell metacharacters in repository field
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ExploitConfigure matching hostRules to trigger helm registry login
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InstallPush malicious commit to monitored repository
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C2Renovate helmv3 manager parses Chart.yaml and constructs login command
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ExecuteUnsanitized repository value evaluated by shell
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ImpactArbitrary OS commands execute as Renovate process user
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Command injection prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires three concurrent conditions: (1) the attacker holds write access to a git repository actively monitored by a vulnerable Renovate instance (versions 31.51.0 to 40.32.x); (2) the |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.4 with vector AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N reflects that exploitation requires the attacker to hold write access to the repository being processed - a meaningful prerequisite that narrows the attack surface compared to a network-exploitable, unauthenticated flaw. No EPSS score was included in the intelligence package, and the absence of a CISA KEV listing means active widespread exploitation is not confirmed; risk must be assessed from the confirmed POC and the deployment context of Renovate in CI/CD pipelines. The high C:H/I:H/A:H impact metrics are credible: arbitrary command execution on the Renovate host, which typically holds CI tokens, cloud credentials, and package registry secrets, effectively constitutes full host compromise with a realistic path to lateral movement - an impact not fully captured by the SC:N/SI:N/SA:N scope metrics in the base vector. The PR:H prerequisite is a real limiting factor for public repositories with strict branch protections, but organizations running Renovate in open-source or multi-contributor project contexts, or where branch protection is weak, face substantially higher practical risk. The confirmed, detailed POC lowers the bar for exploitation meaningfully beyond what the base score alone suggests, and any team running an affected version of Renovate against repositories with external contributors should treat this as an urgent upgrade rather than routine maintenance. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with write access to a git repository monitored by Renovate commits a |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026
Command injection in Renovate's helmv3 manager (versions 31.51.0 through 40.32.x) allows repository contributors with write access to execute arbitrary OS commands on the system running Renovate by embedding shell metacharacters in the repository field of a crafted Chart.yaml file. The unsanitized value is interpolated directly into a helm registry login shell invocation without applying shlex.quote() escaping. A detailed proof-of-concept demonstrating process termination via kill 1 is publicly documented in GHSA-3f44-xw83-3pmg; no public exploit identified at time of analysis beyond the POC, and CISA KEV does not list this CVE.
RemediationAI
Upgrade Renovate to version 40.33.0 or later, which applies proper shell escaping via shlex.quote() to the repository parameter before passing it to helm registry login. The fix is available via the npm package registry and the patch commits are documented at https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/f372a68144a4d78c9f7f418168e4efe03336a432 and https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/a70a6a376d31148e80be5a5c885ac33ff5ddb30c. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, disable the helmv3 manager in Renovate's configuration (enabledManagers list) to prevent processing of Helm chart files entirely - this eliminates the vulnerable code path but stops all automated Helm dependency updates, which may require manual intervention for chart maintenance. Additionally, restrict repository write access to trusted contributors and avoid granting broad write permissions to external collaborators on repositories processed by Renovate. Run Renovate with minimal environment variables and avoid injecting cloud credentials or package registry tokens that could be exfiltrated if the host is compromised.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in npm
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Renovate is an automated dependency update tool distributed as an npm package (cpe:2.3:a:renovatebot:renovate:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) that manages Helm chart dependencies through its helmv3 manager. The vulnerable code resides in lib/modules/manager/helmv3/common.ts, where the repository value read from a Chart.yaml dependency entry is concatenated directly into the helm registry login shell command string. CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command) describes this root cause precisely: attacker-controlled data is inserted into a command without neutralizing shell metacharacters such as ||, &&, or ;. The shlex package's quote() function was available in the codebase but was not applied to the repository parameter. The vulnerability was introduced in commit f372a68 (January 24, 2022) when OCI registry login support was added in version 31.51.0. A secondary simplified attack path, using the overrideDatasource configuration option, became available from version 38.120.0 onward.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Requires repository write access to plant malicious Chart.yaml (PR:H); command executes locally on Renovate host (AV:L); full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on affected system.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck
DescriptionCVE.org
Renovate versions from 31.51.0 before 40.33.0 contain a command injection vulnerability in the helmv3 manager where the repository parameter is appended to helm registry login commands without proper sanitization. Attackers with repository write access can craft malicious Chart.yaml files to execute arbitrary commands on the machine running Renovate.
Executive ViewAI
A command injection vulnerability in Renovate's Helm integration (versions 31.51.0-40.32.x) allows repository contributors to execute arbitrary operating system commands on systems running Renovate, potentially compromising CI/CD pipelines and build infrastructure. Organizations using Renovate with Helm package dependencies should apply the available patch immediately.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.
Credential exfiltration in Renovate before 44.11.3 lets a malicious or compromised GitLab server steal the authenticatio
Credential exfiltration in Renovate (renovatebot/renovate) before 44.11.2 lets a malicious or compromised container regi
Credential exfiltration in Renovate before 44.11.2 (and Mend Renovate CE/EE images/charts before 15.4.0, enterprise-edit
Credential disclosure in Renovate before 44.11.3 allows a malicious or compromised GitHub server to exfiltrate host cred
Command injection in Renovate's Maven Wrapper manager allows an attacker with write access to a scanned repository to ex
Command injection in Renovate's hermit manager (versions 32.135.0 through 40.33.0) allows an attacker with repository wr
Command injection in Renovate's npm manager (versions 35.63.0 through 40.33.0) allows attackers with repository write ac
Command injection in Renovate's gleam manager (versions 39.53.0 through 40.33.0 exclusive) allows attackers with reposit
Command injection in Renovate's kustomize manager (versions 39.218.0 through 40.33.0) allows repository contributors wit
Command injection in Renovate's Gradle Wrapper update mechanism allows arbitrary code execution inside the Renovate runt
Command injection in Renovate's Gradle Wrapper manager module allows a repository contributor to execute arbitrary OS co
Incomplete log sanitization in Renovate before 44.14.4 causes Mutual TLS private keys to be written in cleartext to appl
EUVD-2026-62473
GHSA-v5qg-6f86-qw4x
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB