CVE-2023-25661: Denial of Service in TensorFlow

Published Mar 27, 2023
·
Updated

Impact A malicious invalid input crashes a tensorflow model (Check Failed) and can be used to trigger a denial of service attack. To minimize the bug, we built a simple single-layer TensorFlow model containing a Convolution3DTranspose layer, which works well with expected inputs and can be deployed in real-world systems. However, if we call the model with a malicious input which has a zero dimension, it gives Check Failed failure and crashes. python import tensorflow as tf

class MyModel(tf.keras.Model): def init(self): super().init() self.conv = tf.keras.layers.Convolution3DTranspose(2, [3,3,3], padding="same") def call(self, input): return self.conv(input) model = MyModel() # Defines a valid model.

x = tf.random.uniform([1, 32, 32, 32, 3], minval=0, maxval=0, dtype=tf.float32) # This is a valid input. output = model.predict(x) print(output.shape) # (1, 32, 32, 32, 2)

x = tf.random.uniform([1, 32, 32, 0, 3], dtype=tf.float32) # This is an invalid input. output = model(x) # crash This Convolution3DTranspose layer is a very common API in modern neural networks. The ML models containing such vulnerable components could be deployed in ML applications or as cloud services. This failure could be potentially used to trigger a denial of service attack on ML cloud services.

Patches We have patched the issue in - GitHub commit 948fe6369a5711d4b4568ea9bbf6015c6dfb77e2 - GitHub commit 85db5d07db54b853484bfd358c3894d948c36baf.

The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.12.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.11.1

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

Other sources

TensorFlow is an Open Source Machine Learning Framework. In versions prior to 2.11.1 a malicious invalid input crashes a tensorflow model (Check Failed) and can be used to trigger a denial of service attack. A proof of concept can be constructed with the Convolution3DTranspose function. This Convolution3DTranspose layer is a very common API in modern neural networks. The ML models containing such vulnerable components could be deployed in ML applications or as cloud services. This failure could be potentially used to trigger a denial of service attack on ML cloud services. An attacker must have privilege to provide input to a Convolution3DTranspose call. This issue has been patched and users are advised to upgrade to version 2.11.1. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

MITRE

Affected Software

3 affected componentsFixes available
pip/tensorflow-cpu<2.11.1
2.11.1
pip/tensorflow<2.11.1
2.11.1
Google TensorFlow<2.11.1

Event History

Mar 27, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:52 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:52 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Advisory Published
09:05 PM
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID for this TensorFlow issue?

The vulnerability ID for this TensorFlow issue is CVE-2023-25661.

2

What is the impact of this vulnerability?

This vulnerability allows a malicious invalid input to crash a TensorFlow model and can be used to trigger a denial of service attack.

3

How can this vulnerability be exploited?

This vulnerability can be exploited by providing a malicious invalid input to a TensorFlow model.

4

What is the severity of CVE-2023-25661?

The severity of CVE-2023-25661 is medium with a CVSS score of 6.5.

5

How can I fix this vulnerability?

To fix this vulnerability, update your TensorFlow installation to version 2.11.1 or later.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203