GHSA-c5x2-p679-95wc is a high-severity (CVSS 7.7) NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in tensorflow. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-c5x2-p679-95wc is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Null pointer dereference in `SparseTensorSliceDataset`
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-c5x2-p679-95wc plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 0 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
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
When a user does not supply arguments that determine a valid sparse tensor, tf.raw_ops.SparseTensorSliceDataset implementation can be made to dereference a null pointer:
import tensorflow as tf
tf.raw_ops.SparseTensorSliceDataset(
indices=[[],[],[]],
values=[1,2,3],
dense_shape=[3,3])
The implementation has some argument validation but fails to consider the case when either indices or values are provided for an empty sparse tensor when the other is not.
If indices is empty (as in the example above), then code that performs validation (i.e., checking that the indices are monotonically increasing) results in a null pointer dereference:
for (int64_t i = 0; i < indices->dim_size(0); ++i) {
int64_t next_batch_index = indices->matrix<int64>()(i, 0);
...
}
If indices as provided by the user is empty, then indices in the C++ code above is backed by an empty std::vector, hence calling indices->dim_size(0) results in null pointer dereferencing (same as calling std::vector::at() on an empty vector).
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 02cc160e29d20631de3859c6653184e3f876b9d7.
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 members of the Aivul Team from Qihoo 360.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.3.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.3.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.3 | 2.4.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.5.0&&< 2.5.1 | 2.5.1 |
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 2.3.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-c5x2-p679-95wc 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-c5x2-p679-95wc 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-c5x2-p679-95wc. 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-c5x2-p679-95wc in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-c5x2-p679-95wc across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.