CVE-2022-23583

CHECK-failures in binary ops in Tensorflow

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A malicious user can cause a denial of service by altering a SavedModel such that any binary op would trigger CHECK failures. This occurs when the protobuf part corresponding to the tensor arguments is modified such that the dtype no longer matches the dtype expected by the op. In that case, calling the templated binary operator for the binary op would receive corrupted data, due to the type confusion involved:

functor::BinaryFunctor<Device, Functor, 1>()(
    eigen_device, out->template flat<Tout>(),
    input_0.template flat<Tin>(), input_1.template flat<Tin>(),
    error_ptr);

If Tin and Tout don't match the type of data in out and input_* tensors then flat<*> would interpret it wrongly. In most cases, this would be a silent failure, but we have noticed scenarios where this results in a CHECK crash, hence a denial of service.

An object is accessed using a type that is incompatible with its actual type, causing the runtime to interpret memory incorrectly. Typical impact: memory safety violations, unexpected behavior, or code execution.

CVE-2022-23583 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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We have patched the issue in GitHub commit a7c02f1a9bbc35473969618a09ee5f9f5d3e52d9.
The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.8.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.7.1, TensorFlow 2.6.3, and TensorFlow 2.5.3, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

1. What is CVE-2022-23583? CVE-2022-23583 is a medium-severity type confusion vulnerability in tensorflow (pip), affecting versions < 2.5.3. It is fixed in 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1. An object is accessed using a type that is incompatible with its actual type, causing the runtime to interpret memory incorrectly.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-23583? CVE-2022-23583 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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-2022-23583?
   • tensorflow (pip) (versions < 2.5.3)
   • tensorflow-cpu (pip) (versions < 2.5.3)
   • tensorflow-gpu (pip) (versions < 2.5.3)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23583? Yes. CVE-2022-23583 is fixed in 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-23583 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23583 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-2022-23583 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-2022-23583?
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.5.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.6.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.7.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.5.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.6.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.7.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.5.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.6.3 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.7.1 or later

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