GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.3) CWE-190 vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Memory exhaustion in Tensorflow
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
The implementation of StringNGrams can be used to trigger a denial of service attack by causing an OOM condition after an integer overflow:
import tensorflow as tf
tf.raw_ops.StringNGrams(
data=['123456'],
data_splits=[0,1],
separator='a'*15,
ngram_widths=[],
left_pad='',
right_pad='',
pad_width=-5,
preserve_short_sequences=True)
We are missing a validation on pad_witdh and that result in computing a negative value for ngram_width which is later used to allocate parts of the output.
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit f68fdab93fb7f4ddb4eb438c8fe052753c9413e8.
The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.8.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.7.1, TensorFlow 2.6.3, and TensorFlow 2.5.3, 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 Yu Tian of Qihoo 360 AIVul Team.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.5.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.6.3 | 2.6.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.1 | 2.7.1 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.5.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.6.0&&< 2.6.3 | 2.6.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.7.0&&< 2.7.1 | 2.7.1 |
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 2.5.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g 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 GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g 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 GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.