CVE-2022-35988

TensorFlow vulnerable to CHECK fail in tf.linalg.matrix_rank

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Attribution

This vulnerability has been reported by Kang Hong Jin.

When tf.linalg.matrix_rank receives an empty input a, the GPU kernel gives a CHECK fail that can be used to trigger a denial of service attack.

import tensorflow as tf

a = tf.constant([], shape=[0, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
tf.linalg.matrix_rank(a=a)

CVE-2022-35988 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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We have patched the issue in GitHub commit c55b476aa0e0bd4ee99d0f3ad18d9d706cd1260a.

The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.10.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.9.1, TensorFlow 2.8.1, and TensorFlow 2.7.2, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

1. What is CVE-2022-35988? CVE-2022-35988 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in tensorflow (pip), affecting versions < 2.7.2. It is fixed in 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-35988? CVE-2022-35988 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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-2022-35988?
   • tensorflow (pip) (versions < 2.7.2)
   • tensorflow-cpu (pip) (versions < 2.7.2)
   • tensorflow-gpu (pip) (versions < 2.7.2)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-35988? Yes. CVE-2022-35988 is fixed in 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-35988 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-35988 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-2022-35988 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-2022-35988?
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.7.2 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.8.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow to 2.9.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.7.2 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.8.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-cpu to 2.9.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.7.2 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.8.1 or later
   • Upgrade tensorflow-gpu to 2.9.1 or later

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