Out of bounds read via null pointer dereference in TensorFlow
Priority LOW 33CWE-125Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- 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 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in all binary cwise operations that don't require broadcasting (e.g., gradients of binary cwise operations). The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/84d053187cb80d975ef2b9684d4b61981bca0c41/tensorflow/core/kernels/cwise_ops_common.h#L264) assumes that the two inputs have exactly the same number of elements but does not check that. Hence, when the eigen functor executes it triggers heap OOB reads and undefined behavior due to binding to nullptr. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec. 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 0.00176 7th 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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tensorflow | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3; before 2.3.4 | 2.5.1, 2.4.3, 2.3.4 | Patch available | CNA | |
| — | tensorflow (PyPI) | before 2.3.4 | 2.3.4 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | before 2.3.4 | 2.3.4 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | before 2.3.4 | 2.3.4 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc |
- 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-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
CPE configurations NVD · 5
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.3.0 to before 2.3.4; 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | Vulnerable | |
| cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.5.0 | Vulnerable | |
| cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.0 rc0 | Vulnerable | |
| cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.0 rc1 | Vulnerable | |
| cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.0 rc2 | Vulnerable |
- 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-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-37659
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc
References
Advisory 2
Other 4
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-572.yaml
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-770.yaml
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-281.yaml
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow
More Google Tensorflow vulnerabilities
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2021-37659 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-37659 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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