CVE-2021-29593: Division by zero in TFLite's implementation of BatchToSpaceNd in TensorFlow
Summary
CVE-2021-29593: Division by zero in TFLite's implementation of BatchToSpaceNd. 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-2021-29593 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 that provides a comprehensive ecosystem of tools, libraries, and community resources. It is widely used for developing and deploying machine learning models in various applications. The BatchToSpaceNd operator in TensorFlow Lite is responsible for rearranging data in a tensor by splitting and shuffling the batch dimension. This operator is used in many TensorFlow models and can be vulnerable to a division by zero error.
Vulnerability Detail
The implementation of the BatchToSpaceNd operator in TensorFlow Lite contains a division by zero error. Specifically, the vulnerable code can be found in the batch_to_space_nd.cc file. The code attempts to divide the output batch size by the block shape dimension, but fails to check if the block shape dimension is zero. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a model with a block input dimension set to zero, resulting in a division by zero error during execution. This vulnerability can lead to crashes, unexpected behavior, 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 update TensorFlow to the latest version as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The division by zero vulnerability in TensorFlow's implementation of the BatchToSpaceNd operator can have serious consequences, including crashes and denial of service. It is crucial to update TensorFlow to the latest version or apply the provided patch to mitigate the vulnerability. For further support and assistance with vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow →
FAQ
TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning framework used for developing and deploying machine learning models.
The BatchToSpaceNd operator in TensorFlow Lite is responsible for rearranging data in a tensor by splitting and shuffling the batch dimension.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a model with a block input dimension set to zero, resulting in a division by zero error during execution.
This vulnerability can lead to crashes, unexpected behavior, or denial of service.
To fix this vulnerability, update TensorFlow to the latest version once the patch is available, or manually apply the patch by cherry-picking the commit onto affected TensorFlow versions.
References
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