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Scenario #278
Security
Kubernetes v1.24, GKE
Insecure Helm Chart Defaults
A popular Helm chart had insecure defaults, like exposing dashboards or running as root.
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What Happened
A team installed a chart from a public Helm repo and unknowingly exposed a dashboard on the internet.
Diagnosis Steps
- 1Discovered open dashboards in a routine scan.
- 2Reviewed Helm chart’s default values.
- 3Found insecure values.yaml configurations.
Root Cause
Use of Helm chart without overriding insecure defaults.
Fix/Workaround
• Overrode defaults in values.yaml.
• Audited Helm charts for misconfigurations.Lessons Learned
Don’t trust defaults—validate every Helm deployment.
How to Avoid
- 1Read charts carefully before applying.
- 2Maintain internal forks of public charts with hardened defaults.