CVE-2021-29542
CVE-2021-29542 is a low-severity vulnerability in Google Tensorflow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-787.
Key facts
- Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 2.5)
- CVSS v2: 2.1
- EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (10th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-787
- Affected product: Google Tensorflow
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. An attacker can cause a heap buffer overflow by passing crafted inputs to `tf.raw_ops.StringNGrams`. This is because the implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/1cdd4da14282210cc759e468d9781741ac7d01bf/tensorflow/core/kernels/string_ngrams_op.cc#L171-L185) fails to consider corner cases where input would be split in such a way that the generated tokens should only contain padding elements. If input is such that `num_tokens` is 0, then, for `data_start_index=0` (when left padding is present), the marked line would result in reading `data[-1]`. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.4.2, TensorFlow 2.3.3, TensorFlow 2.2.3 and TensorFlow 2.1.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-29542?
- TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. An attacker can cause a heap buffer overflow by passing crafted inputs to `tf.raw_ops.StringNGrams`. This is because the implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/1cdd4da14282210cc759e468d9781741ac7d01bf/tensorflow/core/kernels/string_ngrams_op.cc#L171-L185) fails to consider corner cases where input would be split in such a way that the generated tokens should only contain padding elements. If input is such that `num_tokens` is 0, then, for `data_start_index=0` (when left padding is present), the marked line would result in reading `data[-1]`. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.4.2, TensorFlow 2.3.3, TensorFlow 2.2.3 and TensorFlow 2.1.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.
- How severe is CVE-2021-29542?
- CVE-2021-29542 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 2.5, rated low severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.
- Is CVE-2021-29542 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (10th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2021-29542?
- CVE-2021-29542 affects Google Tensorflow. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-29542?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
- When was CVE-2021-29542 published?
- CVE-2021-29542 was published on 2021-05-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/ba424dd8f16f7110eea526a8086f1a155f14f22b
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-4hrh-9vmp-2jgg
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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