CVE-2020-15211: Tensorflow Out Of Bounds Access Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2020-15211 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) out of bounds access vulnerability (CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read) affecting Tensorflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves out of bounds access in tensorflow-lite. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.15.4, 2.0.3, 2.1.2, 2.2.1, 2.3.1.
CVE-2020-15211 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 4.8
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2020-15211
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.
pip install tensorflow>=1.15.4
pip install tensorflow>=2.0.3
pip install tensorflow>=2.1.2
pip install tensorflow>=2.2.1
pip install tensorflow>=2.3.1
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=1.15.4
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.0.3
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.1.2
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.2.1
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.3.1
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=1.15.4
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.0.3
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.1.2
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.2.1
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.3.1
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-2020-15211, 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 1.15.4), 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
CVE-2020-15211 Affected Tensorflow Versions
15 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
tensorflow
|
PyPI |
< 1.15.4
|
1.15.4
|
|
tensorflow
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.3
|
2.0.3
|
|
tensorflow
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.2
|
2.1.2
|
|
tensorflow
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.1
All 1 versions
2.2.0
|
2.2.1
|
|
tensorflow
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.1
All 1 versions
2.3.0
|
2.3.1
|
|
tensorflow-cpu
|
PyPI |
< 1.15.4
|
1.15.4
|
|
tensorflow-cpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.3
|
2.0.3
|
|
tensorflow-cpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.2
|
2.1.2
|
|
tensorflow-cpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.1
All 1 versions
2.2.0
|
2.2.1
|
|
tensorflow-cpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.1
All 1 versions
2.3.0
|
2.3.1
|
|
tensorflow-gpu
|
PyPI |
< 1.15.4
|
1.15.4
|
|
tensorflow-gpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.3
|
2.0.3
|
|
tensorflow-gpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.2
|
2.1.2
|
|
tensorflow-gpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.1
All 1 versions
2.2.0
|
2.2.1
|
|
tensorflow-gpu
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.1
All 1 versions
2.3.0
|
2.3.1
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-15211?
Which Tensorflow versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2020-15211?
Is tensorflow affected?
Is tensorflow-cpu affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-15211?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-15211?
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2020-15211?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-cvpc-8phh-8f45",
"modified" : "2024-10-28T15:02:07Z",
"published" : "2020-09-25T18:28:49Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-15211" ],
"summary" : "Out of bounds access in tensorflow-lite",
"details" : "### Impact\nIn TensorFlow Lite, saved models in the flatbuffer format use a double indexing scheme: a model has a set of subgraphs, each subgraph has a set of operators and each operator has a set of input/output tensors. The flatbuffer format uses indices for the tensors, indexing into an array of tensors that is owned by the subgraph. This results in a pattern of double array indexing when trying to get the data of each tensor: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/kernels/kernel_util.cc#L36\n\nHowever, some operators can have some tensors be optional. To handle this scenario, the flatbuffer model uses a negative `-1` value as index for these tensors:\nhttps://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/c/common.h#L82\n\nThis results in special casing during validation at model loading time: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/0e68f4d3295eb0281a517c3662f6698992b7b2cf/tensorflow/lite/core/subgraph.cc#L566-L580\n\nUnfortunately, this means that the `-1` index is a valid tensor index for any operator, including those that don't expect optional inputs and including for output tensors. Thus, this allows writing and reading from outside the bounds of heap allocated arrays, although only at a specific offset from the start of these arrays.\n\nThis results in both read and write gadgets, albeit very limited in scope.\n\n### Patches\nWe have patched the issue in several commits (46d5b0852, 00302787b7, e11f5558, cd31fd0ce, 1970c21, and fff2c83). We will release patch releases for all versions between 1.15 and 2.3.\n\nWe recommend users to upgrade to TensorFlow 1.15.4, 2.0.3, 2.1.2, 2.2.1, or 2.3.1.\n\n### Workarounds\nA potential workaround would be to add a custom `Verifier` to the model loading code to ensure that only operators which accept optional inputs use the `-1` special value and only for the tensors that they expect to be optional. Since this allow-list type approach is erro-prone, we advise upgrading to the patched code.\n\n### For more information\nPlease 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.\n\n### Attribution\nThis vulnerability has been reported by members of the Aivul Team from Qihoo 360.",
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"database_specific" : {
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"severity" : "MODERATE",
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