CVE-2021-29608

CVE-2021-29608 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Google Tensorflow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. 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-131.

Key facts

Description

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Due to lack of validation in `tf.raw_ops.RaggedTensorToTensor`, an attacker can exploit an undefined behavior if input arguments are empty. The implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/656e7673b14acd7835dc778867f84916c6d1cac2/tensorflow/core/kernels/ragged_tensor_to_tensor_op.cc#L356-L360) only checks that one of the tensors is not empty, but does not check for the other ones. There are multiple `DCHECK` validations to prevent heap OOB, but these are no-op in release builds, hence they don't prevent anything. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick these commits 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-2021-29608?
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Due to lack of validation in `tf.raw_ops.RaggedTensorToTensor`, an attacker can exploit an undefined behavior if input arguments are empty. The implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/656e7673b14acd7835dc778867f84916c6d1cac2/tensorflow/core/kernels/ragged_tensor_to_tensor_op.cc#L356-L360) only checks that one of the tensors is not empty, but does not check for the other ones. There are multiple `DCHECK` validations to prevent heap OOB, but these are no-op in release builds, hence they don't prevent anything. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick these commits 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-2021-29608?
CVE-2021-29608 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-29608 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (14th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-29608?
CVE-2021-29608 affects Google Tensorflow. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-29608?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-29608 published?
CVE-2021-29608 was published on 2021-05-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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