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Cross namespace secret disclosure via unvalidated `valuesFrom` references in Helm Deployer

Critical
samjustus published GHSA-xr65-5cpm-g36x May 27, 2026

Package

gomod github.com/rancher/fleet (Go)

Affected versions

>=0.15.0, <0.15.2
>=0.14.0, <0.14.6
>=0.13.0, <0.13.11
>=0.12.0, <0.12.15

Patched versions

0.15.2
0.14.6
0.13.11
0.12.15

Description

Impact

A vulnerability in Fleet for Rancher Manager affects multi-tenancy environments where different tenants share the same downstream clusters (e.g., different privileged or untrusted teams inside the same organization).

On unpatched versions, tenants could bypass restrictions to access any config map or secret across all namespaces on the downstream cluster. They can create cluster-wide resources using HelmOp or Bundle without authorization.
Specifically, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability in the following ways:

  1. Use valuesFrom in fleet.yaml(through a GitRepo resource) or a `HelmOp resource to read the contents of any secret an on the downstream cluster, provided they know or can guess the name, namespace, and key.
  2. Deploy HelmOp and Bundle resources without being restricted to a specific service account for the Fleet agent.

If you use Fleet in a multi-tenant environment, it's recommended that you:

  • Review your cluster and Fleet deployments logs for indicators of unauthorized access across tenant namespaces.
  • Rotate any service accounts and credentials that might have been exposed.

Please consult the associated MITRE ATT&CK - Technique - Unsecured Credentials for further information about this category of attack.

Patches

To resolve this vulnerability, upgrade to a patched version of Fleet. The new Policy resource allows you to:

  • Configure GitRepos, HelmOps, and Bundles to require a specific service account for the Fleet agent on downstream clusters used for deployment. The agent uses these designated service accounts for operations, blocking access to unauthorized resources.
  • Restrict HelmOp repository and chart URLs by using a regular expression. The regular expression is automatically anchored with ^ and $, meaning it must match the entire URL string.

Like GitRepoRestriction, a Policy resource must be created in the specific namespace you want to restrict, and it only applies to that namespace.

Note: Before applying a policy, ensure that the required service account is available on the downstream clusters and is configured with least-privilege permissions.

Patched versions of Fleet include releases v0.15.2, v0.14.6, 0.13.11, and v0.12.15.

Workarounds

If you can't upgrade to a fixed version, please make sure that tenants do not have shared access to the same downstream clusters.

Credits

This security issue was reported by the following collaborators according to our responsible disclosure policy:

  • Radisauskas Arnoldas from NATO and the NATO Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

References

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2026-44935

Weaknesses

No CWEs