GHSA-f78g-q7r4-9wcv is a low-severity (CVSS 2.5) CWE-369 vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-f78g-q7r4-9wcv is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Division by 0 in `FractionalAvgPool`
Real-World Exposure
tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu🐍tensorflow-cpu+4 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
An attacker can cause a runtime division by zero error and denial of service in tf.raw_ops.FractionalAvgPool:
import tensorflow as tf
value = tf.constant([60], shape=[1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.int32)
pooling_ratio = [1.0, 1.0000014345305555, 1.0, 1.0]
pseudo_random = False
overlapping = False
deterministic = False
seed = 0
seed2 = 0
tf.raw_ops.FractionalAvgPool(
value=value, pooling_ratio=pooling_ratio, pseudo_random=pseudo_random,
overlapping=overlapping, deterministic=deterministic, seed=seed, seed2=seed2)
This is because the implementation computes a divisor quantity by dividing two user controlled values:
for (int i = 0; i < tensor_in_and_out_dims; ++i) {
output_size[i] = static_cast<int>(std::floor(input_size[i] / pooling_ratio_[i]));
DCHECK_GT(output_size[i], 0);
}
The user controls the values of input_size[i] and pooling_ratio_[i] (via the value.shape() and pooling_ratio arguments). If the value in input_size[i] is smaller than the pooling_ratio_[i], then the floor operation results in output_size[i] being 0. The DCHECK_GT line is a no-op outside of debug mode, so in released versions of TF this does not trigger.
Later, these computed values are used as arguments to GeneratePoolingSequence. There, the first computation is a division in a modulo operation:
std::vector<int64> GeneratePoolingSequence(int input_length, int output_length,
GuardedPhiloxRandom* generator,
bool pseudo_random) {
...
if (input_length % output_length == 0) {
diff = std::vector<int64>(output_length, input_length / output_length);
}
...
}
Since output_length can be 0, this results in runtime crashing.
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 548b5eaf23685d86f722233d8fbc21d0a4aecb96.
The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.4.2, TensorFlow 2.3.3, TensorFlow 2.2.3 and TensorFlow 2.1.4, 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 Ying Wang and Yakun Zhang of Baidu X-Team.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | all versions | 2.1.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.3 | 2.2.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.3.0&&< 2.3.3 | 2.3.3 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow | ≥ 2.4.0&&< 2.4.2 | 2.4.2 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | all versions | 2.1.4 |
| 🐍PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | ≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.3 | 2.2.3 |
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 2.1.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-f78g-q7r4-9wcv 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-f78g-q7r4-9wcv 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-f78g-q7r4-9wcv. 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-f78g-q7r4-9wcv in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-f78g-q7r4-9wcv across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.