Heap OOB in TensorFlow Lite's `Gather*` implementations
Priority LOW 24CWE-125Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-125 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions TFLite's [`GatherNd` implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/149562d49faa709ea80df1d99fc41d005b81082a/tensorflow/lite/kernels/gather_nd.cc#L124) does not support negative indices but there are no checks for this situation. Hence, an attacker can read arbitrary data from the heap by carefully crafting a model with negative values in `indices`. Similar issue exists in [`Gather` implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/149562d49faa709ea80df1d99fc41d005b81082a/tensorflow/lite/kernels/gather.cc). We have patched the issue in GitHub commits bb6a0383ed553c286f87ca88c207f6774d5c4a8f and eb921122119a6b6e470ee98b89e65d721663179d. 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 0.00191 8th 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-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | before 2.3.4 | 2.3.4 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | before 2.3.4 | 2.3.4 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
| — | tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) | 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 | Patch available | GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 |
- 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-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.3.4 Fixed in 2.3.4 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.4.0 to before 2.4.3 Fixed in 2.4.3 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
- tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.5.0 to before 2.5.1 Fixed in 2.5.1 Patch available GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
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-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.3.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.4.3 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) Fixed in 2.5.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-37687
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437
References
Advisory 3
Other 6
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-600.yaml
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-798.yaml
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-309.yaml
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/149562d49faa709ea80df1d99fc41d005b81082a/tensorflow/lite/kernels/gather.cc
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/149562d49faa709ea80df1d99fc41d005b81082a/tensorflow/lite/kernels/gather_nd.cc#L124
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-2021-37687 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-37687 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-jwf9-w5xm-f437 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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