How severe is CVE-2021-37638?

CVE-2021-37638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.7, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-37638 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-37638?

CVE-2021-37638 primarily affects Google Tensorflow. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-37638?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-37638 published?

CVE-2021-37638 was published on 2021-08-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-37638

CVE-2021-37638 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Tensorflow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.7. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.7)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (6th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Google Tensorflow
Published: 2021-08-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Sending invalid argument for `row_partition_types` of `tf.raw_ops.RaggedTensorToTensor` API results in a null pointer dereference and undefined behavior. The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/47a06f40411a69c99f381495f490536972152ac0/tensorflow/core/kernels/ragged_tensor_to_tensor_op.cc#L328) accesses the first element of a user supplied list of values without validating that the provided list is not empty. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 301ae88b331d37a2a16159b65b255f4f9eb39314. 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-37638?: TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Sending invalid argument for `row_partition_types` of `tf.raw_ops.RaggedTensorToTensor` API results in a null pointer dereference and undefined behavior. The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/47a06f40411a69c99f381495f490536972152ac0/tensorflow/core/kernels/ragged_tensor_to_tensor_op.cc#L328) accesses the first element of a user supplied list of values without validating that the provided list is not empty. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 301ae88b331d37a2a16159b65b255f4f9eb39314. 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.
How severe is CVE-2021-37638?: CVE-2021-37638 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.7, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-37638 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-37638?: CVE-2021-37638 primarily affects Google Tensorflow. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-37638?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-37638 published?: CVE-2021-37638 was published on 2021-08-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*

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