External risk intelligence

CloudPirates Helm Charts GitHub Actions Workflow Exposes Secrets

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 10.0)

CVE-2026-45131

The vulnerability exists within a build-time GitHub Actions workflow used for repository maintenance. This is a developer-only or CI/CD internal process that does not involve public-facing services, network gateways, or internet-exposed applications in common deployments.

Code Injection

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A vulnerability in CloudPirates Open Source Helm Charts, specifically within a GitHub Actions workflow, allowed for the execution of attacker-controlled code from fork pull requests. This could expose sensitive repository secrets without requiring maintainer approval, impacting the security of code repositories.

Code from pull requests could expose secrets.
Protects sensitive code repository secrets.
Confirm relevance and exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could leverage a vulnerability in the GitHub Actions workflow used by CloudPirates Open Source Helm Charts. By submitting a pull request from a forked repository, an attacker could trigger the workflow to execute malicious code within a privileged context. This workflow, which runs without requiring maintainer approval, could expose sensitive repository secrets, such as Docker Hub credentials and tokens, potentially leading to further compromise.

Entry condition: Submit pull request from a fork.
Trigger point: GitHub Actions workflow execution.
Resulting risk: Exposure of sensitive repository secrets.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

When supported by the advisory, a GitHub Actions workflow executing attacker-controlled code from fork pull requests could expose sensitive repository secrets. This could occur without maintainer approval in a privileged context, potentially impacting system integrity and confidentiality.

Repository secrets could be exposed.
Code from fork pull requests could execute.
Sensitive information could be compromised.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The GitHub Actions workflow vulnerability in CloudPirates Open Source Helm Charts is likely an issue for the Platform Engineering or DevOps teams responsible for CI/CD pipelines and developer tooling. The first step is to confirm if this workflow is active in your environment, assess its reachability and criticality, identify the accountable owner, and then prioritize remediation based on potential exposure.

Platform/DevOps teams should own resolution.
Verify workflow usage and secret exposure.
Plan for workflow review and secure code updates.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is CloudPirates Open Source Helm Charts?

It is a collection of Helm charts used to package and deploy applications on Kubernetes. Organizations utilize these charts to standardize their infrastructure configurations, but the software includes automation tools like GitHub Actions workflows to manage repository maintenance and CI/CD tasks.

What does CWE-94 mean in the context of CVE-2026-45131?

This CVE involves improper control of generation of code, classified as CWE-94. In plain English, the workflow was configured to blindly execute instructions provided by external contributors. Because this happened in a privileged environment, it allowed untrusted code to run as if it were legitimate, leading to the unauthorized access of sensitive repository data.

How can an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this by submitting a pull request from a forked repository. Once the request is opened, the automated workflow executes the included code. Importantly, this bug does not trigger through standard repository use by maintainers; it specifically targets the automated CI/CD pipeline handling contributions from external forks.

Do I need to worry about this if my Helm charts are internal?

According to Halo Surface Signal, this vulnerability is very unlikely to affect public-facing services because it exists solely within internal CI/CD build processes. While your Helm charts might be used internally, you should check if your repository uses the affected GitHub Actions workflow, as the risk is centered on the security of your build-time secrets.

When should I update my repository configuration?

You should prioritize this review if your project uses these Helm charts and relies on GitHub Actions for automated testing. Your first step is to verify if your workflow matches the vulnerable configuration. If so, update your repository to use the patched code version, which introduces necessary security controls for pull requests from forks.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.