How severe is CVE-2021-41221?

CVE-2021-41221 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-41221 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-41221?

CVE-2021-41221 primarily affects Google Tensorflow. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-41221?

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-2021-41221 published?

CVE-2021-41221 was published on 2021-11-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-41221

CVE-2021-41221 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Tensorflow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (12th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Google Tensorflow
Published: 2021-11-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions the shape inference code for the `Cudnn*` operations in TensorFlow can be tricked into accessing invalid memory, via a heap buffer overflow. This occurs because the ranks of the `input`, `input_h` and `input_c` parameters are not validated, but code assumes they have certain values. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.7.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.6.1, TensorFlow 2.5.2, and TensorFlow 2.4.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-41221?: TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions the shape inference code for the `Cudnn*` operations in TensorFlow can be tricked into accessing invalid memory, via a heap buffer overflow. This occurs because the ranks of the `input`, `input_h` and `input_c` parameters are not validated, but code assumes they have certain values. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.7.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.6.1, TensorFlow 2.5.2, and TensorFlow 2.4.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.
How severe is CVE-2021-41221?: CVE-2021-41221 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-41221 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-41221?: CVE-2021-41221 primarily affects Google Tensorflow. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-41221?: 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-2021-41221 published?: CVE-2021-41221 was published on 2021-11-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.7.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*

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