diff --git a/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils.go b/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils.go
index 5957d8d7c..9e2af864f 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils.go
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ func updateYamlNode(node *yaml.Node, path []string, value string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if node.Kind != yaml.MappingNode {
+		return errors.New("yaml node in path is not a dictionary")
+	}
+
 	key := path[0]
 	for i := 0; i < len(node.Content)-1; i += 2 {
 		if node.Content[i].Value == key {
diff --git a/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils_test.go b/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils_test.go
index 4e7aaded3..5808cfd38 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/yaml_utils/yaml_utils_test.go
@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ func TestUpdateYamlValue(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedOut: "foo: [1, 2, 3]\n",
 			expectedErr: "yaml node is not a scalar",
 		},
+		{
+			name:        "not all path elements are dictionaries",
+			in:          "foo:\n  bar: [1, 2, 3]\n",
+			path:        []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"},
+			value:       "qux",
+			expectedOut: "foo:\n  bar: [1, 2, 3]\n",
+			expectedErr: "yaml node in path is not a dictionary",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {