CVE-2018-21233: Tensorflow Out-of-bounds Read Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h98h-8mxr-m8gx
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-125
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-21233 is a HIGH (CVSS 6.5) out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read) affecting Tensorflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves out-of-bounds read in tensorflow possibly causing disclosure of the contents of process memory.. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.7.0.

CVE-2018-21233 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-21233
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h98h-8mxr-m8gx
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read
Affected Product Tensorflow
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2018-21233

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Tensorflow dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

tensorflow fixed: 1.7.0 
pip install tensorflow>=1.7.0
tensorflow-gpu fixed: 1.7.0 
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=1.7.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show tensorflow

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2018-21233, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show tensorflow

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Tensorflow in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.7.0), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show tensorflow command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, where the product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. In Tensorflow, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

TensorFlow before 1.7.0 has an integer overflow that causes an out-of-bounds read, possibly causing disclosure of the contents of process memory. This occurs in the DecodeBmp feature of the BMP decoder in `core/kernels/decode_bmp_op.cc`.

CVE-2018-21233 Affected Tensorflow Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.7.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
tensorflow
pypi/tensorflow
PyPI
< 1.7.0
1.7.0
tensorflow-gpu
pypi/tensorflow-gpu
PyPI
< 1.7.0
1.7.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-h98h-8mxr-m8gx
Tensorflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2020-269.yaml
Tensorflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2020-304.yaml
Tensorflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2020-253.yaml
Tensorflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow
Tensorflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/master/tensorflow/security/advisory/tfsa-2018-001.md
NVD — CVE-2018-21233 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-21233
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/49f73c55d56edffebde4bca4a407ad69c1cae433

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-21233?
CVE-2018-21233 is a security vulnerability in Tensorflow involving Out-of-bounds read in TensorFlow possibly causing disclosure of the contents of process memory. under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read.
Which Tensorflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.7.0 across affected packages: tensorflow, tensorflow-gpu.
What version fixes CVE-2018-21233?
Upgrading to 1.7.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is tensorflow affected?
Yes, tensorflow is affected in releases prior to 1.7.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.7.0 or later.
Is tensorflow-gpu affected?
Yes, tensorflow-gpu is affected in releases prior to 1.7.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.7.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-21233?
CVE-2018-21233 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-21233?
CVE-2018-21233 is classified under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read (The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2018-21233?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show tensorflow'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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  "id" : "GHSA-h98h-8mxr-m8gx",
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  "published" : "2020-05-13T16:01:35Z",
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}