CVE-2021-29591
Stack overflow due to looping TFLite subgraph
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. TFlite graphs must not have loops between nodes. However, this condition was not checked and an attacker could craft models that would result in infinite loop during evaluation. In certain cases, the infinite loop would be replaced by stack overflow due to too many recursive calls. For example, the `While` implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/106d8f4fb89335a2c52d7c895b7a7485465ca8d9/tensorflow/lite/kernels/while.cc) could be tricked into a scneario where both the body and the loop subgraphs are the same. Evaluating one of the subgraphs means calling the `Eval` function for the other and this quickly exhaust all stack space. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.4.2, TensorFlow 2.3.3, TensorFlow 2.2.3 and TensorFlow 2.1.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range. Please consult our security guide(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/master/SECURITY.md) for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 45 days later
· 45 days later
Published
- 3 years later
· 3 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.26% · top 82% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.3.
Weakness
Affected products
- affected < 2.1.4
- affected >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3
- affected >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3
- affected >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- PyPItensorflowGHSA-cwv3-863g-39vx (opens in a new tab)
- PyPItensorflow-cpuGHSA-cwv3-863g-39vx (opens in a new tab)
- PyPItensorflow-gpuGHSA-cwv3-863g-39vx (opens in a new tab)
References (3)
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-cwv3-863g-39vx (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/9c1dc920d8ffb4893d6c9d27d1f039607b326743 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/c6173f5fe66cdbab74f4f869311fe6aae2ba35f4 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-cwv3-863g-39vx (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2021-29591)Record last updated .