CVE-2021-29561: TensorFlow Denial of Service Vulnerability
Summary
CVE-2021-29561: TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Affects tensorflow across 5 version ranges.
< 2.1.4
>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2
< 77dd114513d7796e1e2b8aece214a380af26fbf4
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-2021-29561 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 end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. It provides a comprehensive ecosystem of tools, libraries, and resources for developing and deploying machine learning models. TensorFlow is widely used in various industries and research fields for tasks such as image recognition, natural language processing, and recommendation systems. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in TensorFlow that can lead to a denial of service attack.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29561) in TensorFlow is caused by a CHECK-failure in the tf.raw_ops.LoadAndRemapMatrix function. The implementation assumes that the ckpt_path parameter is always a valid scalar. However, an attacker can send any other tensor as the first argument of LoadAndRemapMatrix, triggering a rank CHECK and causing the process to terminate. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to launch a denial of service attack against systems using vulnerable versions of TensorFlow. The issue has been fixed in TensorFlow 2.5.0, and patches have been released for earlier versions as well.
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 update to the patched version of TensorFlow as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in TensorFlow (CVE-2021-29561) can lead to a denial of service attack. It is crucial to update to the patched version of TensorFlow or apply the relevant patches 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 platform for machine learning that provides tools and resources for developing and deploying machine learning models.
This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to launch a denial of service attack against systems using vulnerable versions of TensorFlow.
To fix this vulnerability, update TensorFlow to version 2.5.0 or apply the relevant patches for earlier versions.
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is recommended to update to the patched version of TensorFlow.
More information about this vulnerability can be found in the TensorFlow GitHub repository and the PyPA advisory database.
References
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