CVE-2021-29579 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) Buffer Overflow vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for tensorflow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Heap buffer overflow in `MaxPoolGrad`
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-29579 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,386 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu+4 moreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
The implementation of tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGrad is vulnerable to a heap buffer overflow:
import tensorflow as tf
orig_input = tf.constant([0.0], shape=[1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
orig_output = tf.constant([0.0], shape=[1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
grad = tf.constant([], shape=[0, 0, 0, 0], dtype=tf.float32)
ksize = [1, 1, 1, 1]
strides = [1, 1, 1, 1]
padding = "SAME"
tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGrad(
orig_input=orig_input, orig_output=orig_output, grad=grad, ksize=ksize,
strides=strides, padding=padding, explicit_paddings=[])
The implementation fails to validate that indices used to access elements of input/output arrays are valid:
for (int index = out_start; index < out_end; ++index) {
int input_backprop_index = out_arg_max_flat(index);
FastBoundsCheck(input_backprop_index - in_start, in_end - in_start);
input_backprop_flat(input_backprop_index) += out_backprop_flat(index);
}
Whereas accesses to input_backprop_flat are guarded by FastBoundsCheck, the indexing in out_backprop_flat can result in OOB access.
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit a74768f8e4efbda4def9f16ee7e13cf3922ac5f7.
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.
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 Ying Wang and Yakun Zhang of Baidu X-Team.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.1.4pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.1.4' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.3 | 2.2.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.2.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.3 | 2.3.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.3.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.2 | 2.4.2pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.4.2' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.1.4pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow-cpu==2.1.4' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.3 | 2.2.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow-cpu==2.2.3' |
Affected Products
tensorflowgoogleResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for tensorflow, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update tensorflow to 2.1.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-29579 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop feeding it untrusted input: reject or quarantine files and payloads from unverified sources until you can upgrade, restrict accepted formats to the ones you actually need, and run the parsing or decoding step in a least-privileged sandbox or short-lived worker so a crash or corrupted read cannot reach the rest of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-29579 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.