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Medium

Memory exhaustion in Tensorflow

  • Disclosed: 03.02.2022
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 15:17

Impact

The implementation of StringNGrams can be used to trigger a denial of service attack by causing an OOM condition after an integer overflow:

python
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 software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Python (PyPI) tensorflow < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
Python (PyPI) tensorflow-cpu < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
Python (PyPI) tensorflow-gpu < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1

References

CVSS score 4.3/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-190, CWE-400
Platform
Python (PyPI)
Package
tensorflow, tensorflow-cpu, tensorflow-gpu
Disclosed
03.02.2022
Updated
11.10.2026 15:17

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2022-57 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2022-112 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-3145 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-98j8-c9q4-r38g - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: tensorflow-cpu

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (430) in the archive
Total entries
430
First → latest
04.2019 07.2024
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 6
  • High 111
  • Medium 208
  • Low 105

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Memory exhaustion in Tensorflow this entry
    Medium · 4.3 CVE-2022-21733 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  2. TensorFlow has segfault in array_ops.upper_bound
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-33976 < 2.12.1 2.12.1
  3. TensorFlow vulnerable to Out-of-Bounds Read in DynamicStitch
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25659 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  4. TensorFlow vulnerable to seg fault in `tf.raw_ops.Print`
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25660 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  5. TensorFlow vulnerable to integer overflow in EditDistance
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25662 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  6. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in TensorArrayConcatV2
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25663 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  7. TensorFlow has Heap-buffer-overflow in AvgPoolGrad
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25664 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  8. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in SparseSparseMaximum
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25665 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  9. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in AudioSpectrogram
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25666 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  10. TensorFlow has a heap out-of-buffer read vulnerability in the QuantizeAndDequantize operation
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2023-25668 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  11. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in AvgPoolGrad with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25669 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  12. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in QuantizedMatMulWithBiasAndDequantize
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25670 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  13. TensorFlow has segmentation fault in tfg-translate
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25671 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  14. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in LookupTableImportV2
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25672 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  15. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in TensorListSplit with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25673 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  16. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in RandomShuffle with XLA enable
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25674 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  17. TensorFlow has Segfault in Bincount with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25675 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  18. TensorFlow has null dereference on ParallelConcat with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25676 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  19. TensorFlow has double free in Fractional(Max/Avg)Pool
    High · 8.0 CVE-2023-25801 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  20. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in TFLite in conv kernel
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-27579 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  21. TensorFlow vulnerable to Out-of-Bounds Read in GRUBlockCellGrad
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25658 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  22. Out of bounds write in grappler in Tensorflow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-41902 < 2.8.4, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3, >= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1
  23. FractionalMaxPool and FractionalAVGPool heap out-of-bounds acess
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-41900 < 2.8.4, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3, >= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1
  24. TensorFlow vulnerable to OOB write in `scatter_nd` in TF Lite
    High · 7.0 CVE-2022-35939 < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.1 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1
  25. TensorFlow vulnerable to OOB read in `Gather_nd` in TF Lite
    High · 7.0 CVE-2022-35937 < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.1 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1
  26. Code injection in `saved_model_cli` in TensorFlow
    High · 7.8 CVE-2022-29216 < 2.6.4, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1
  27. Segfault and OOB write due to incomplete validation in `EditDistance` in TensorFlow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-29208 < 2.6.4, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1
  28. NULL Pointer Dereference and Access of Uninitialized Pointer in TensorFlow
    Critical · 9.3 ghsa-h6gw-r52c-724r < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  29. Improper Validation of Integrity Check Value in TensorFlow
    High · 7.0 ghsa-43q8-3fv7-pr5x < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  30. Out of bounds read in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23594 >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.7.1
  31. Read and Write outside of bounds in TensorFlow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23560 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  32. Insecure temporary file in Tensorflow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-23563 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  33. Out of bounds read in Tensorflow
    High · 8.1 CVE-2022-23592 >= 2.7.0, < 2.8.0 2.8.0
  34. Stack overflow in TensorFlow
    High · 7.5 CVE-2022-23591 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  35. Out of bounds read and write in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23574 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  36. Uninitialized variable access in Tensorflow
    High · 7.6 CVE-2022-23573 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  37. Integer overflow in Tensorflow
    High · 7.6 CVE-2022-23562 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  38. Out of bounds write in TFLite
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23561 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  39. Integer overflow in TFLite
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23559 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  40. Out of bounds write in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23566 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
  41. Use after free in `DecodePng` kernel
    High · 7.6 CVE-2022-23584 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3 2.5.3, 2.6.3
Show more (20) Showing 41 of 118

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