CVE-2021-29548: TensorFlow GPU - Division by Zero Denial of Service
Summary
CVE-2021-29548: 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
< d6ed5bcfe1dcab9e85a4d39931bd18d99018e75b
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-2021-29548 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 GPU is a variant of TensorFlow that leverages GPU acceleration for faster computation. It is widely used in various industries and research domains for training and inference of machine learning models.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29548) exists in the tf.raw_ops.QuantizedBatchNormWithGlobalNormalization function of TensorFlow GPU. An attacker can trigger a runtime division by zero error, leading to a denial of service. The vulnerability arises due to the lack of proper validation of constraints specified in the op's contract. This can be exploited by providing malicious input data to the function. The impact of this vulnerability is a complete halt of the affected TensorFlow GPU instance, resulting in a denial of service.
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 available for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the official fix by updating to TensorFlow GPU version 2.5.0 or later.
Conclusion
The vulnerability (CVE-2021-29548) in TensorFlow GPU can be exploited to cause a denial of service by triggering a runtime division by zero error. Users of TensorFlow GPU should update their installation to version 2.5.0 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. No known workarounds are available. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for tensorflow-gpu →
FAQ
TensorFlow GPU is a variant of TensorFlow that utilizes GPU acceleration for faster computation of machine learning models.
The vulnerability can lead to a denial of service, causing the affected TensorFlow GPU instance to crash and become unresponsive.
To fix this vulnerability, update your TensorFlow GPU installation to version 2.5.0 or later.
No, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the official fix by updating TensorFlow GPU.
You can find more information about this vulnerability in the official TensorFlow documentation and the CVE entry (CVE-2021-29548).
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for tensorflow-gpu.
