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Medium

Reference binding to nullptr in boosted trees

  • Disclosed: 12.08.2021
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 13:19

Impact

An attacker can generate undefined behavior via a reference binding to nullptr in BoostedTreesCalculateBestGainsPerFeature:

python
import tensorflow as tf

tf.raw_ops.BoostedTreesCalculateBestGainsPerFeature(
  node_id_range=[],
  stats_summary_list=[[1,2,3]],
  l1=[1.0],
  l2=[1.0],
  tree_complexity =[1.0],
  min_node_weight =[1.17],
  max_splits=5)

A similar attack can occur in BoostedTreesCalculateBestFeatureSplitV2:

python
import tensorflow as tf
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
tf.raw_ops.BoostedTreesCalculateBestFeatureSplitV2(
  node_id_range=[],
  stats_summaries_list=[[1,2,3]],
  split_types=[''],
  candidate_feature_ids=[1,2,3,4],
  l1=[1],     
  l2=[1],
  tree_complexity=[1.0],
  min_node_weight=[1.17],
  logits_dimension=5)

The implementation does not validate the input values.

Patches

We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 9c87c32c710d0b5b53dc6fd3bfde4046e1f7a5ad and in commit. 429f009d2b2c09028647dd4bb7b3f6f414bbaad7.

The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.6.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.5.1, TensorFlow 2.4.3, and TensorFlow 2.3.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

For more information

Please consult our security guide for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.

Attribution

This vulnerability has been reported by members of the Aivul Team from Qihoo 360.

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Python (PyPI) tensorflow < 2.3.4, >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3, >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 2.3.4, 2.4.3, 2.5.1
Python (PyPI) tensorflow-cpu < 2.3.4, >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3, >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 2.3.4, 2.4.3, 2.5.1
Python (PyPI) tensorflow-gpu < 2.3.4, >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3, >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 2.3.4, 2.4.3, 2.5.1

References

CVSS score 7.1/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-824
Platform
Python (PyPI)
Package
tensorflow, tensorflow-cpu, tensorflow-gpu
Disclosed
12.08.2021
Updated
11.10.2026 13:19

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2021-284 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2021-575 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2021-773 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-f5cx-5wr3-5qrc - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: tensorflow

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (433) in the archive
Total entries
433
First → latest
04.2019 07.2024
Without a fix
0
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 6
  • High 112
  • Medium 210
  • Low 105

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Reference binding to nullptr in boosted trees this entry
    Medium · 7.1 CVE-2021-37662 < 2.3.4, >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3, >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 2.3.4, 2.4.3, 2.5.1
  2. TensorFlow has segfault in array_ops.upper_bound
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-33976 < 2.12.1 2.12.1
  3. TensorFlow vulnerable to Out-of-Bounds Read in DynamicStitch
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25659 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  4. TensorFlow vulnerable to seg fault in `tf.raw_ops.Print`
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25660 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  5. TensorFlow vulnerable to integer overflow in EditDistance
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25662 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  6. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in TensorArrayConcatV2
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25663 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  7. TensorFlow has Heap-buffer-overflow in AvgPoolGrad
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25664 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  8. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in SparseSparseMaximum
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25665 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  9. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in AudioSpectrogram
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25666 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  10. TensorFlow has a heap out-of-buffer read vulnerability in the QuantizeAndDequantize operation
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2023-25668 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  11. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in AvgPoolGrad with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25669 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  12. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in QuantizedMatMulWithBiasAndDequantize
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25670 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  13. TensorFlow has segmentation fault in tfg-translate
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25671 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  14. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in LookupTableImportV2
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25672 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  15. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in TensorListSplit with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25673 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  16. TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in RandomShuffle with XLA enable
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25674 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  17. TensorFlow has Segfault in Bincount with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25675 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  18. TensorFlow has null dereference on ParallelConcat with XLA
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25676 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  19. TensorFlow has double free in Fractional(Max/Avg)Pool
    High · 8.0 CVE-2023-25801 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  20. TensorFlow has Floating Point Exception in TFLite in conv kernel
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-27579 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  21. TensorFlow vulnerable to Out-of-Bounds Read in GRUBlockCellGrad
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-25658 < 2.11.1 2.11.1
  22. Out of bounds write in grappler in Tensorflow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-41902 < 2.8.4, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3, >= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1
  23. FractionalMaxPool and FractionalAVGPool heap out-of-bounds acess
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-41900 < 2.8.4, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3, >= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1
  24. Buffer overflow in `CONV_3D_TRANSPOSE` on TFLite
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-41894 < 2.8.4, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3, >= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1
  25. TensorFlow vulnerable to OOB write in `scatter_nd` in TF Lite
    High · 7.0 CVE-2022-35939 < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.1 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1
  26. TensorFlow vulnerable to OOB read in `Gather_nd` in TF Lite
    High · 7.0 CVE-2022-35937 < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1, >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.1 2.7.2, 2.8.1, 2.9.1
  27. Code injection in `saved_model_cli` in TensorFlow
    High · 7.8 CVE-2022-29216 < 2.6.4, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1
  28. Segfault and OOB write due to incomplete validation in `EditDistance` in TensorFlow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-29208 < 2.6.4, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.2, >= 2.8.0, < 2.8.1 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1
  29. NULL Pointer Dereference and Access of Uninitialized Pointer in TensorFlow
    Critical · 9.3 ghsa-h6gw-r52c-724r < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  30. Improper Validation of Integrity Check Value in TensorFlow
    High · 7.0 ghsa-43q8-3fv7-pr5x < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  31. Out of bounds read in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23594 >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.7.1
  32. Read and Write outside of bounds in TensorFlow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23560 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  33. Insecure temporary file in Tensorflow
    High · 7.1 CVE-2022-23563 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  34. Out of bounds read in Tensorflow
    High · 8.1 CVE-2022-23592 >= 2.8.0-rc0, < 2.8.0 2.8.0
  35. Stack overflow in TensorFlow
    High · 7.5 CVE-2022-23591 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  36. Out of bounds read and write in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23574 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  37. Uninitialized variable access in Tensorflow
    High · 7.6 CVE-2022-23573 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  38. Integer overflow in Tensorflow
    High · 7.6 CVE-2022-23562 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  39. Out of bounds write in TFLite
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23561 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  40. Integer overflow in TFLite
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23559 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
  41. Out of bounds write in Tensorflow
    High · 8.8 CVE-2022-23566 < 2.5.3, >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3, >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
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