GHSA-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm is a low-severity (CVSS 2.5) CWE-120 vulnerability in tensorflow. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Heap buffer overflow in `Conv3DBackprop*`
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
Missing validation between arguments to tf.raw_ops.Conv3DBackprop* operations can result in heap buffer overflows:
import tensorflow as tf
input_sizes = tf.constant([1, 1, 1, 1, 2], shape=[5], dtype=tf.int32)
filter_tensor = tf.constant([734.6274508233133, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0,
-10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0,
-10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0], shape=[4, 1, 6, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
out_backprop = tf.constant([-10.0], shape=[1, 1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
tf.raw_ops.Conv3DBackpropInputV2(input_sizes=input_sizes, filter=filter_tensor, out_backprop=out_backprop, strides=[1, 89, 29, 89, 1], padding='SAME', data_format='NDHWC', dilations=[1, 1, 1, 1, 1])
import tensorflow as tf
input_values = [-10.0] * (7 * 7 * 7 * 7 * 7)
input_values[0] = 429.6491056791816
input_sizes = tf.constant(input_values, shape=[7, 7, 7, 7, 7], dtype=tf.float32)
filter_tensor = tf.constant([7, 7, 7, 1, 1], shape=[5], dtype=tf.int32)
out_backprop = tf.constant([-10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0, -10.0], shape=[7, 1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.float32)
tf.raw_ops.Conv3DBackpropFilterV2(input=input_sizes, filter_sizes=filter_tensor, out_backprop=out_backprop, strides=[1, 37, 65, 93, 1], padding='VALID', data_format='NDHWC', dilations=[1, 1, 1, 1, 1])
This is because the implementation assumes that the input, filter_sizes and out_backprop tensors have the same shape, as they are accessed in parallel.
Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 8f37b52e1320d8d72a9529b2468277791a261197.
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 securityguide for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.
Attribution
This vulnerability has been reported by Yakun Zhang and Ying Wang 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-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm 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-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm 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-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm. 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-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-wcv5-qrj6-9pfm across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.