CVE-2021-29570: Heap out of bounds read in tensorflow
Summary
CVE-2021-29570: Heap out of bounds read in MaxPoolGradWithArgmax. Affects tensorflow across 4 version ranges.
< 2.1.4
>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2
Fixed in 4 releases; the minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- tensorflow · Bitnami
- tensorflow-cpu · PyPI
- tensorflow-gpu · PyPI
The same CVE-2021-29570 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning framework developed by Google. It provides a comprehensive ecosystem of tools, libraries, and community resources that allow developers to build and deploy machine learning models. TensorFlow includes various operations and functions for data manipulation, neural networks, and other machine learning tasks. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the implementation of tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGradWithArgmax function, which can lead to a heap out of bounds read.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGradWithArgmax arises from the use of the same value to index two different arrays without ensuring their sizes are identical. This can result in reads outside the bounds of heap allocated data. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by supplying specially crafted inputs to the function. The impact of this vulnerability can vary depending on the specific use case, but it has the potential to lead to information disclosure or denial of service.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 2.21.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.21.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the versions below are the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you can't move to the latest
The minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run.
-
< 2.1.42.1.4pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.1.4" -
>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.32.2.3pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.2.3" -
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.32.3.3pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.3.3" -
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.22.4.2pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.4.2"
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Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the patch or upgrade to a patched version of TensorFlow as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in TensorFlow's tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGradWithArgmax function can result in heap out of bounds reads, potentially leading to information disclosure or denial of service. It is crucial to update your TensorFlow installation to one of the patched versions to mitigate the risk. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow →
FAQ
TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning framework developed by Google. It provides tools and libraries for building and deploying machine learning models.
tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGradWithArgmax is a TensorFlow operation used for computing the gradient of the max pooling operation with argmax indices.
The vulnerability can be exploited by supplying specially crafted inputs to the tf.raw_ops.MaxPoolGradWithArgmax function.
The vulnerability can lead to reads outside the bounds of heap allocated data, which can result in information disclosure or denial of service.
To fix the vulnerability, update your TensorFlow installation to one of the patched versions: 2.5.0, 2.4.2, 2.3.3, 2.2.3, or 2.1.4.
References
Related vulnerabilities
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