CVE-2021-29515: TensorFlow GPU - MatrixDiag* Operations Validation Failure
Summary
CVE-2021-29515: TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. Affects tensorflow-gpu 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
< a7116dd3913c4a4afd2a3a938573aa7c785fdfc6
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-cpu · PyPI
The same CVE-2021-29515 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 set of tools, libraries, and resources for building and deploying machine learning models. The TensorFlow GPU package, available on PyPI, is specifically designed to leverage the power of GPU hardware for accelerated machine learning computations.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29515) in TensorFlow GPU arises from the implementation of MatrixDiag* operations. These operations are responsible for creating diagonal matrices from input tensors. The issue stems from a lack of validation for non-empty tensor arguments. As a result, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing empty tensors as input, leading to unexpected behavior or potential crashes in the affected TensorFlow GPU versions. The vulnerability has been addressed in TensorFlow 2.5.0 and backported to earlier supported versions.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 2.12.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-gpu==2.12.0"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-gpu==2.1.4" -
>= 2.2.0, < 2.2.32.2.3pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-gpu==2.2.3" -
>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.32.3.3pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-gpu==2.3.3" -
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.22.4.2pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-gpu==2.4.2"
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Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is essential to update to the patched version of TensorFlow GPU to mitigate the risk.
Conclusion
The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29515) in TensorFlow GPU's MatrixDiag* operations could allow an attacker to exploit empty tensor arguments, leading to unexpected behavior or potential crashes. It is crucial to update to the patched version (2.5.0 or later) of TensorFlow GPU to mitigate the risk. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow-gpu →
FAQ
TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning that provides a comprehensive set of tools and resources for building and deploying machine learning models.
The vulnerability in TensorFlow GPU could allow an attacker to exploit the MatrixDiag* operations by providing empty tensors as input. This could lead to unexpected behavior or potential crashes in affected versions of TensorFlow GPU.
The vulnerability affects TensorFlow GPU versions 2.1.4 and later, including versions 2.2.3, 2.3.3, and 2.4.2.
Yes, the vulnerability has been fixed in TensorFlow GPU version 2.5.0. Additionally, the fix has been backported to earlier supported versions, including 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, and 2.4.2.
To update TensorFlow GPU to the patched version (2.5.0 or later), you can use the following command:
pip install --upgrade tensorflow-gpu
References
Related vulnerabilities
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