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TI-2021-15514 Aliases CVE-2021-37639GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4

Null pointer dereference and heap OOB read in TensorFlow

Priority LOW 36CWE-476Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-476.

Summary

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. When restoring tensors via raw APIs, if the tensor name is not provided, TensorFlow can be tricked into dereferencing a null pointer. Alternatively, attackers can read memory outside the bounds of heap allocated data by providing some tensor names but not enough for a successful restoration. The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/47a06f40411a69c99f381495f490536972152ac0/tensorflow/core/kernels/save_restore_tensor.cc#L158-L159) retrieves the tensor list corresponding to the `tensor_name` user controlled input and immediately retrieves the tensor at the restoration index (controlled via `preferred_shard` argument). This occurs without validating that the provided list has enough values. If the list is empty this results in dereferencing a null pointer (undefined behavior). If, however, the list has some elements, if the restoration index is outside the bounds this results in heap OOB read. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 9e82dce6e6bd1f36a57e08fa85af213e2b2f2622. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.6.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.5.1, TensorFlow 2.4.3, and TensorFlow 2.3.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00173 6th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed tensorflow (tensorflow): 2.5.1, 2.4.3, 2.3.4tensorflow (PyPI): 2.3.4, 2.4.3, 2.5.1+2 more products

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
Googletensorflow2.5.0 to before 2.5.1; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3; before 2.3.42.5.1, 2.4.3, 2.3.4Patch availableCNA
—tensorflow (PyPI)before 2.3.42.3.4Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow (PyPI)2.4.0 to before 2.4.32.4.3Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow (PyPI)2.5.0 to before 2.5.12.5.1Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-cpu (PyPI)before 2.3.42.3.4Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-cpu (PyPI)2.4.0 to before 2.4.32.4.3Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-cpu (PyPI)2.5.0 to before 2.5.12.5.1Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-gpu (PyPI)before 2.3.42.3.4Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-gpu (PyPI)2.4.0 to before 2.4.32.4.3Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
—tensorflow-gpu (PyPI)2.5.0 to before 2.5.12.5.1Patch availableGHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow VendorGoogle Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3; before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.5.1, 2.4.3, 2.3.4 Patch available CNA
  • tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4
  • tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4

CPE configurations NVD · 5

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.3.0 to before 2.3.4; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.5.0VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.0 rc0VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.0 rc1VulnerableGoogle
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.0 rc2VulnerableGoogle
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.3.0 to before 2.3.4; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.5.0 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.0 rc0 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Google
  • cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Google

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA tensorflow (tensorflow) Fixed in 2.5.1, 2.4.3, 2.3.4
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-37639
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-gh6x-4whr-2qv4

References

Patch 1

Advisory 2

Other 4

  • TI-2022-20241 FractionalMaxPool and FractionalAVGPool heap out-of-bounds acess in Tensorflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2022-07640 Integer overflow in Tensorflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2022-07627 Out of bounds read and write in Tensorflow CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-07619 Out of bounds write in Tensorflow CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-07613 Read and Write outside of bounds in TFLite CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-07612 Integer overflow in TFLite CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
See all 430 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences