CVE-2021-37667: Reference binding to nullptr in unicode encoding in TensorFlow

Published Aug 12, 2021
·
Updated

Impact An attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in tf.rawops.UnicodeEncode:

python import tensorflow as tf from tensorflow.python.ops import genstringops

genstringops.unicodeencode( inputvalues=[], inputsplits=[], outputencoding='UTF-8', errors='ignore', replacementchar='a')

The implementation reads the first dimension of the inputsplits tensor before validating that this tensor is not empty:

cc const Tensor& inputsplits = context->input(1); const auto inputsplitsflat = inputsplits.flat<SPLITSTYPE>(); TensorShape outputshape({inputsplits.dimsize(0) - 1});

Patches We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 2e0ee46f1a47675152d3d865797a18358881d7a6.

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.

For more information Please consult our security guide for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.

Attribution This vulnerability has been reported by members of the Aivul Team from Qihoo 360.

Other sources

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in tf.rawops.UnicodeEncode. The implementation reads the first dimension of the inputsplits tensor before validating that this tensor is not empty. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 2e0ee46f1a47675152d3d865797a18358881d7a6. 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.

Affected Software

15 affected componentsFixes available
pip/tensorflow-gpu=2.5.0
2.5.1
pip/tensorflow-gpu>=2.4.0<2.4.3
2.4.3
pip/tensorflow-gpu<2.3.4
2.3.4
pip/tensorflow-cpu=2.5.0
2.5.1
pip/tensorflow-cpu>=2.4.0<2.4.3
2.4.3
pip/tensorflow-cpu<2.3.4
2.3.4
pip/tensorflow=2.5.0
2.5.1
pip/tensorflow>=2.4.0<2.4.3
2.4.3
pip/tensorflow<2.3.4
2.3.4
Google TensorFlow>=2.3.0<2.3.4
Google TensorFlow>=2.4.0<2.4.3
Google TensorFlow=2.5.0
Google TensorFlow=2.6.0-rc0
Google TensorFlow=2.6.0-rc1
Google TensorFlow=2.6.0-rc2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-gpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.5.1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-gpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.4.3
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-gpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-cpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.5.1
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-cpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.4.3
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow-cpu to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.5.1
  8. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.4.3
  9. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4
  10. Upgrade

    Upgrade tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch 2e0ee46f1a47675152d3d865797a18358881d7a6
  11. Upgrade

    Upgrade tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.6.0
  12. Upgrade

    Upgrade tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.5.1
  13. Upgrade

    Upgrade tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.4.3
  14. Upgrade

    Upgrade tensorflow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4

Event History

Aug 12, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:40 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:40 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Aug 25, 2021
Advisory Published
via GitHub·02:42 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2021-37667?

CVE-2021-37667 is a vulnerability in TensorFlow that allows an attacker to cause undefined behavior.

2

How does the vulnerability in TensorFlow occur?

The vulnerability in TensorFlow occurs when an attacker binds a reference to a null pointer in `tf.raw_ops.UnicodeEncode`.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2021-37667?

CVE-2021-37667 has a severity rating of 7.8 (high).

4

Which versions of TensorFlow are affected by CVE-2021-37667?

Versions 2.3.0 to 2.3.4, 2.4.0 to 2.4.3, 2.5.0, and 2.6.0-rc0 to 2.6.0-rc2 of TensorFlow are affected by CVE-2021-37667.

5

How can I fix the vulnerability in TensorFlow?

To fix the vulnerability in TensorFlow, update to a version that is not affected by CVE-2021-37667.

Contact

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