CVE-2021-41219
Undefined behavior via `nullptr` reference binding in sparse matrix multiplication
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
TensorFlow is an open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions the code for sparse matrix multiplication is vulnerable to undefined behavior via binding a reference to `nullptr`. This occurs whenever the dimensions of `a` or `b` are 0 or less. In the case on one of these is 0, an empty output tensor should be allocated (to conserve the invariant that output tensors are always allocated when the operation is successful) but nothing should be written to it (that is, we should return early from the kernel implementation). Otherwise, attempts to write to this empty tensor would result in heap OOB access. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.7.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.6.1, TensorFlow 2.5.2, and TensorFlow 2.4.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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)
- 0.21% · top 89% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Weakness
Affected products
- affected >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.1
- affected >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.2
- affected < 2.4.4
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- PyPItensorflowGHSA-4f99-p9c2-3j8x (opens in a new tab)
- PyPItensorflow-cpuGHSA-4f99-p9c2-3j8x (opens in a new tab)
- PyPItensorflow-gpuGHSA-4f99-p9c2-3j8x (opens in a new tab)
References (2)
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-4f99-p9c2-3j8x (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/e6cf28c72ba2eb949ca950d834dd6d66bb01cfae (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-4f99-p9c2-3j8x (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-2021-41219)Record last updated .