CVE-2021-29535

Heap buffer overflow in QuantizedMul

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Attribution

This vulnerability has been reported by Ying Wang and Yakun Zhang of Baidu X-Team.

An attacker can cause a heap buffer overflow in QuantizedMul by passing in invalid thresholds for the quantization:

import tensorflow as tf

x = tf.constant([256, 328], shape=[1, 2], dtype=tf.quint8)
y = tf.constant([256, 328], shape=[1, 2], dtype=tf.quint8)
min_x = tf.constant([], dtype=tf.float32)
max_x = tf.constant([], dtype=tf.float32)
min_y = tf.constant([], dtype=tf.float32)
max_y = tf.constant([], dtype=tf.float32)

tf.raw_ops.QuantizedMul(x=x, y=y, min_x=min_x, max_x=max_x, min_y=min_y, max_y=max_y)

This is because the implementation assumes that the 4 arguments are always valid scalars and tries to access the numeric value directly:

const float min_x = context->input(2).flat<float>()(0);
const float max_x = context->input(3).flat<float>()(0);
const float min_y = context->input(4).flat<float>()(0);
const float max_y = context->input(5).flat<float>()(0);

However, if any of these tensors is empty, then .flat<T>() is an empty buffer and accessing the element at position 0 results in overflow.

A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or arbitrary code execution.

CVE-2021-29535 has a CVSS score of 2.5 (Low). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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We have patched the issue in GitHub commit efea03b38fb8d3b81762237dc85e579cc5fc6e87.

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.

1. What is CVE-2021-29535? CVE-2021-29535 is a low-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in tensorflow (pip), affecting versions < 2.1.4. It is fixed in 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2. A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
2. How severe is CVE-2021-29535? CVE-2021-29535 has a CVSS score of 2.5 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-29535?
   • tensorflow (pip) (versions < 2.1.4)
   • tensorflow-cpu (pip) (versions < 2.1.4)
   • tensorflow-gpu (pip) (versions < 2.1.4)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2021-29535? Yes. CVE-2021-29535 is fixed in 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2021-29535 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-29535 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2021-29535 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2021-29535?
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.1.4 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.2.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.3.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.4.2 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.1.4 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.2.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.3.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.4.2 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.1.4 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.2.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.3.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.4.2 or later

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