CVE-2021-29568: TensorFlow - ParameterizedTruncatedNormal Null Pointer Dereference

Sponsored Habilume Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent. App Store Google Play

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 domains, including research, industry, and academia. It offers support for both CPU and GPU computations, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in TensorFlow that can lead to undefined behavior and potential security risks.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29568) exists in the tf.raw_ops.ParameterizedTruncatedNormal function of TensorFlow. An attacker can trigger undefined behavior by binding to a null pointer. The issue arises due to the lack of input argument validation in the implementation of the function. Specifically, the shape argument is not checked for emptiness before accessing its first element. If the shape argument is empty, the shape_tensor.flat<T>() array will also be empty, leading to undefined behavior. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or potentially execute arbitrary code.

pip install --upgrade "tensorflow==2.21.0"

Workaround

As a workaround, you can manually validate the shape argument before calling the tf.raw_ops.ParameterizedTruncatedNormal function. Ensure that the shape argument is not empty before passing it to the function. Here is an example of how to perform the validation in Python:

import tensorflow as tf

def parameterized_truncated_normal(shape, dtype=tf.float32, seed=None):
    if not shape:
        raise ValueError('Shape argument cannot be empty.')
    return tf.raw_ops.ParameterizedTruncatedNormal(shape=shape, dtype=dtype, seed=seed)

Conclusion

The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29568) in TensorFlow's tf.raw_ops.ParameterizedTruncatedNormal function can lead to undefined behavior and potential security risks. It is crucial to upgrade to TensorFlow 2.5.0 or apply the backported fixes to ensure the security and stability of your machine learning applications. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow →

FAQ