GHSA-cvpc-8phh-8f45 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.8) Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-cvpc-8phh-8f45 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Out of bounds access in tensorflow-lite
Real-World Exposure
tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu+7 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
In TensorFlow Lite, saved models in the flatbuffer format use a double indexing scheme: a model has a set of subgraphs, each subgraph has a set of operators and each operator has a set of input/output tensors. The flatbuffer format uses indices for the tensors, indexing into an array of tensors that is owned by the subgraph. This results in a pattern of double array indexing when trying to get the data of each tensor: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/kernels/kernel_util.cc#L36
However, some operators can have some tensors be optional. To handle this scenario, the flatbuffer model uses a negative -1 value as index for these tensors:
https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/c/common.h#L82
This results in special casing during validation at model loading time: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/core/subgraph.cc#L566-L580
Unfortunately, this means that the -1 index is a valid tensor index for any operator, including those that don't expect optional inputs and including for output tensors. Thus, this allows writing and reading from outside the bounds of heap allocated arrays, although only at a specific offset from the start of these arrays.
This results in both read and write gadgets, albeit very limited in scope.
Patches
We have patched the issue in several commits (46d5b0852, 00302787b7, e11f5558, cd31fd0ce, 1970c21, and fff2c83). We will release patch releases for all versions between 1.15 and 2.3.
We recommend users to upgrade to TensorFlow 1.15.4, 2.0.3, 2.1.2, 2.2.1, or 2.3.1.
Workarounds
A potential workaround would be to add a custom Verifier to the model loading code to ensure that only operators which accept optional inputs use the -1 special value and only for the tensors that they expect to be optional. Since this allow-list type approach is erro-prone, we advise upgrading to the patched code.
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 | 1.15.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.3 | 2.0.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.1.0&&< 2.1.2 | 2.1.2 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.1 | 2.2.1 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.1 | 2.3.1 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 1.15.4 |
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 1.15.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-cvpc-8phh-8f45 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-cvpc-8phh-8f45 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-cvpc-8phh-8f45. 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-cvpc-8phh-8f45 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-cvpc-8phh-8f45 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.