CVE-2026-76229 in Renovate
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Renovate versions from 39.218.0 before 40.33.0 contain an arbitrary command injection vulnerability in the kustomize manager where user-provided chart names are appended to helm pull commands without proper sanitization. Attackers with repository write access can craft malicious kustomization.yaml files with specially crafted chart names to execute arbitrary commands on the Renovate host machine.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The identified vulnerability represents a critical security flaw within the Renovate automation platform, specifically affecting versions ranging from 39.218.0 up to but not including 40.33.0. This issue resides in the kustomize manager component, which is responsible for processing Kubernetes configuration files that utilize Helm charts as dependencies. The core technical deficiency lies in how user-provided chart names are handled during the execution of external commands. When Renovate processes a repository containing a kustomization.yaml file, it constructs and executes helm pull commands to fetch the specified chart artifacts. In vulnerable versions, these chart name inputs are concatenated directly into the command string without adequate sanitization or validation against shell metacharacters. This lack of input validation creates an opportunity for arbitrary command injection, allowing malicious actors to break out of the intended context of the helm pull operation and execute additional system commands on the host machine where Renovate is running.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for remote code execution within the CI/CD pipeline environment. An attacker who possesses write access to a repository managed by Renovate can craft a malicious kustomization.yaml file containing specially crafted chart names that include shell injection payloads, such as semicolons or pipe characters followed by arbitrary commands. Upon processing this configuration, the vulnerable version of Renovate will execute these injected commands with the privileges of the user account running the Renovate process. This could lead to full compromise of the host system, including theft of sensitive credentials stored in environment variables, exfiltration of source code from other repositories accessed by the same instance, or lateral movement within the internal network if the compromised host has broader access rights. The severity is further amplified because repository write access is often granted to automated bots and trusted contributors, making it a plausible attack vector for supply chain attacks targeting development teams.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, commonly known as OS Command Injection. The failure to properly sanitize user input before its use in system-level commands is the root cause. In terms of tactical mapping within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this flaw facilitates Initial Access and Execution techniques, specifically leveraging command and script interpretation through injected payloads. Attackers can leverage this capability to establish persistence or escalate privileges depending on the configuration of the Renovate instance. The vulnerability underscores the risks associated with dynamically constructing shell commands using unsanitized inputs in automation tools that operate with elevated permissions.
Mitigation strategies must focus primarily on upgrading the Renovate software to version 40.33.0 or later, where this specific input validation and command construction logic has been corrected. For organizations unable to upgrade immediately due to dependency constraints, it is crucial to enforce strict access controls over repository write privileges, ensuring that only trusted individuals and verified automated systems can modify configuration files like kustomization.yaml. Additionally, implementing runtime application self-protection or host-based intrusion detection systems that monitor for anomalous command executions originating from the Renovate process can provide an additional layer of defense. Security teams should also audit existing repositories for any suspicious modifications to Kubernetes manifest files that might indicate exploitation attempts prior to patching. Regularly reviewing and restricting the scope of permissions granted to CI/CD bots is essential to minimize the blast radius in case of future vulnerabilities.