CVE-2021-37688 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.5) NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in tensorflow. A fix is available for tensorflow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Null pointer dereference in TFLite
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-37688 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 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-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-gpu🐍tensorflow-gpu+1 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
An attacker can craft a TFLite model that would trigger a null pointer dereference, which would result in a crash and denial of service:
import tensorflow as tf
model = tf.keras.models.Sequential()
model.add(tf.keras.Input(shape=(1, 2, 3)))
model.add(tf.keras.layers.Dense(0, activation='relu'))
converter = tf.lite.TFLiteConverter.from_keras_model(model)
tflite_model = converter.convert()
interpreter = tf.lite.Interpreter(model_content=tflite_model)
interpreter.allocate_tensors()
interpreter.invoke()
The implementation unconditionally dereferences a pointer.
if (y4 > 1) {
// ...
} else {
for (int i0 = 0; i0 < y0; ++i0) {
const T* input2_data_ptr = nullptr;
for (int i1 = 0; i1 < y1; ++i1) {
input2_data_ptr = input2_data_reset;
for (int i2 = 0; i2 < y2; ++i2) {
scalar_broadcast_f(y3, params, *input1_data_ptr, input2_data_ptr,
output_data_ptr);
}
}
}
}
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 15691e456c7dc9bd6be203b09765b063bf4a380c.
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 Yakun Zhang of Baidu Security.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.3.4pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.3.4' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.3 | 2.4.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.4.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.1 | 2.5.1pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.5.1' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.1 | 2.5.1pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow-cpu==2.5.1' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.3 | 2.4.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow-cpu==2.4.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.3.4pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow-cpu==2.3.4' |
Affected Products
tensorflowgoogleDetection & 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 2.3.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-37688 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-37688 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.