CVE-2021-29545: Denial of Service in TensorFlow
Summary
CVE-2021-29545: TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Affects tensorflow-cpu across 5 version ranges.
< 1e922ccdf6bf46a3a52641f99fd47d54c1decd13
>= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0rc0
< 2.2.0rc0
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3
Fixed in 4 releases; the minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- tensorflow · Bitnami
- tensorflow · PyPI
- tensorflow · PyPI
- tensorflow-gpu · PyPI
The same CVE-2021-29545 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 domains for tasks such as image recognition, natural language processing, and recommendation systems.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-29545 in TensorFlow allows an attacker to trigger a denial of service (DoS) attack. The issue arises when converting sparse tensors to CSR Sparse matrices. The implementation of this conversion process involves accessing an element of an array allocated on the heap. However, due to a flaw in the code, there is a double redirection that can lead to writing outside the bounds of the heap-allocated data. This can result in a crash or instability of the TensorFlow application. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of X.X, indicating its severity.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 2.21.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu==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.
-
< 2.2.0rc02.2.0rc0pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu==2.2.0rc0" -
>= 2.2.0, < 2.3.0rc02.3.0rc0pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu==2.3.0rc0" -
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.42.3.4pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu==2.3.4" -
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.32.4.3pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu==2.4.3"
Tip — Not sure which release line you're on? Vulert can find the fix for the version you are using. Scan free →
Workaround
As of now, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. Users are encouraged to apply the official fix or update their TensorFlow installations to the patched versions once they are released.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-29545 in TensorFlow can be exploited by an attacker to trigger a denial of service attack. To mitigate this vulnerability, users should update their TensorFlow installations to the patched versions once they are released. There are no known workarounds available at the moment. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, you can contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow-cpu →
FAQ
TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning that provides a comprehensive set of tools and resources for developing and deploying machine learning models.
The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to trigger a denial of service attack, potentially leading to a crash or instability of the TensorFlow application.
To fix this vulnerability, users should update their TensorFlow installations to the patched versions once they are released. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0, and backported to earlier versions.
Currently, there are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the official fix or update TensorFlow to the patched versions.
For more information about this vulnerability, you can refer to the official TensorFlow documentation and the CVE entry (CVE-2021-29545).
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for tensorflow-cpu.
