CVE-2021-29533: Tensorflow CHECK-fail Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-393f-2jr3-cp69
CVSS 2.5
CWE-754
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-29533 is a LOW (CVSS 2.5) check-fail vulnerability (CWE-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions) affecting Tensorflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves check-fail in drawboundingboxes. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2.

CVE-2021-29533 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-29533
GHSA Identifier GHSA-393f-2jr3-cp69
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 2.5
CWE Classification CWE-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
Affected Product Tensorflow
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 2.5

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-29533

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: 2.1.4
pip install tensorflow>=2.1.4
tensorflow fixed: 2.2.3
pip install tensorflow>=2.2.3
tensorflow fixed: 2.3.3
pip install tensorflow>=2.3.3
tensorflow fixed: 2.4.2
pip install tensorflow>=2.4.2
tensorflow-cpu fixed: 2.1.4
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.1.4
tensorflow-cpu fixed: 2.2.3
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.2.3
tensorflow-cpu fixed: 2.3.3
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.3.3
tensorflow-cpu fixed: 2.4.2
pip install tensorflow-cpu>=2.4.2
tensorflow-gpu fixed: 2.1.4
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.1.4
tensorflow-gpu fixed: 2.2.3
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.2.3
tensorflow-gpu fixed: 2.3.3
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.3.3
tensorflow-gpu fixed: 2.4.2
pip install tensorflow-gpu>=2.4.2
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-2021-29533, 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 2.1.4), 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-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions, where the product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product. 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

### Impact An attacker can trigger a denial of service via a `CHECK` failure by passing an empty image to `tf.raw_ops.DrawBoundingBoxes`: ```python import tensorflow as tf images = tf.fill([53, 0, 48, 1], 0.) boxes = tf.fill([53, 31, 4], 0.) boxes = tf.Variable(boxes) boxes[0, 0, 0].assign(3.90621) tf.raw_ops.DrawBoundingBoxes(images=images, boxes=boxes) ``` This is because the [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/ea34a18dc3f5c8d80a40ccca1404f343b5d55f91/tensorflow/core/kernels/image/draw_bounding_box_op.cc#L148-L165) uses `CHECK_*` assertions instead of `OP_REQUIRES` to validate user controlled inputs. Whereas `OP_REQUIRES` allows returning an error condition back to the user, the `CHECK_*` macros result in a crash if the condition is false, similar to `assert`. ```cc const int64 max_box_row_clamp = std::min<int64>(max_box_row, height - 1); ... CHECK_GE(max_box_row_clamp, 0); ``` In this case, `height` is 0 from the `images` input. This results in `max_box_row_clamp` being negative and the assertion being falsified, followed by aborting program execution. ### Patches We have patched the issue in GitHub commit [b432a38fe0e1b4b904a6c222cbce794c39703e87](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/b432a38fe0e1b4b904a6c222cbce794c39703e87). 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. ### For more information 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. ### Attribution This vulnerability has been reported by Yakun Zhang and Ying Wang of Baidu X-Team.

CVE-2021-29533 Affected Tensorflow Versions

12 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.42.2.32.3.32.4.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
tensorflow
PyPI
< 2.1.4
2.1.4
tensorflow
PyPI
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.3
2.2.3
tensorflow
PyPI
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.3
2.3.3
tensorflow
PyPI
≥ 2.4.0
< 2.4.2
2.4.2
tensorflow-cpu
PyPI
< 2.1.4
2.1.4
tensorflow-cpu
PyPI
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.3
2.2.3
tensorflow-cpu
PyPI
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.3
2.3.3
tensorflow-cpu
PyPI
≥ 2.4.0
< 2.4.2
2.4.2
tensorflow-gpu
PyPI
< 2.1.4
2.1.4
tensorflow-gpu
PyPI
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.3
2.2.3
tensorflow-gpu
PyPI
≥ 2.3.0
< 2.3.3
2.3.3
tensorflow-gpu
PyPI
≥ 2.4.0
< 2.4.2
2.4.2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-29533?
CVE-2021-29533 is a security vulnerability in Tensorflow involving CHECK-fail in DrawBoundingBoxes under CWE-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions.
Which Tensorflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2 across affected packages: tensorflow, tensorflow-cpu, tensorflow-gpu.
What version fixes CVE-2021-29533?
Upgrading to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is tensorflow affected?
Yes, tensorflow is affected in releases prior to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2 or later.
Is tensorflow-cpu affected?
Yes, tensorflow-cpu is affected in releases prior to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, 2.4.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-29533?
CVE-2021-29533 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 2.5 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-29533?
CVE-2021-29533 is classified under CWE-754: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2021-29533?
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
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  "id" : "GHSA-393f-2jr3-cp69",
  "modified" : "2024-10-30T23:22:16Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-21T14:22:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-29533" ],
  "summary" : "CHECK-fail in DrawBoundingBoxes",
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