CVE-2022-29216
HIGHCVE-2022-29216 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) Code Injection vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2022-29216 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Code injection in `saved_model_cli` in TensorFlow
Blast Radius
tensorflow🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-gpu🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍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
TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning. Prior to versions 2.9.0, 2.8.1, 2.7.2, and 2.6.4, TensorFlow's saved_model_cli tool is vulnerable to a code injection. This can be used to open a reverse shell. This code path was maintained for compatibility reasons as the maintainers had several test cases where numpy expressions were used as arguments. However, given that the tool is always run manually, the impact of this is still not severe. The maintainers have now removed the safe=False argument, so all parsing is done without calling eval. The patch is available in versions 2.9.0, 2.8.1, 2.7.2, and 2.6.4.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.6.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.6.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-gpu | all versions | 2.6.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.2 | 2.7.2 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.8.0&&< 2.8.1 | 2.8.1 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.2 | 2.7.2 |
Research 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. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update tensorflow to 2.6.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-29216 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2022-29216 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2022-29216. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-29216 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2022-29216 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.