CVE-2021-29554: Denial of Service in TensorFlow
Summary
CVE-2021-29554: 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
< da5ff2daf618591f64b2b62d9d9803951b945e9f
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-2021-29554 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
A denial of service vulnerability has been identified in TensorFlow. The vulnerability exists in the tf.raw_ops.DenseCountSparseOutput function, which is used for dense count sparse output computation. The implementation of this function does not properly handle a floating-point exception (FPE) runtime error, leading to a denial of service condition. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by providing malicious input data, causing the function to encounter a division by zero error. The vulnerability affects versions of TensorFlow up to 2.4.2.
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 recommended to apply the official fix by updating to the patched versions of TensorFlow.
Conclusion
A denial of service vulnerability has been identified in TensorFlow versions up to 2.4.2. Users are advised to update to TensorFlow 2.5.0 or later, or apply the respective fixes for TensorFlow 2.4.2 and TensorFlow 2.3.3. No known workarounds exist for this vulnerability. For further assistance or support in addressing this vulnerability, 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 developing and deploying machine learning models.
This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial of service condition in TensorFlow, potentially disrupting machine learning processes and applications that rely on TensorFlow.
Versions of TensorFlow up to 2.4.2 are affected by this vulnerability.
Yes, the vulnerability has been fixed in TensorFlow 2.5.0. The fix has also been backported to TensorFlow 2.4.2 and TensorFlow 2.3.3.
To update TensorFlow, refer to the official documentation and follow the instructions for your specific environment and package manager.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for tensorflow-gpu.
