CVE-2021-34141: Numpy Incorrect Comparison Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fpfv-jqm9-f5jm
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-697
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-34141 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) incorrect comparison vulnerability (CWE-697: Incorrect Comparison) affecting Numpy libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves incorrect comparison in numpy. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.22.

CVE-2021-34141 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-34141
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fpfv-jqm9-f5jm
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-697: Incorrect Comparison
Affected Product Numpy
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

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:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2021-34141

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

numpy fixed: 1.22 
pip install numpy>=1.22
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 numpy

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2021-34141, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show numpy

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Numpy in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.22), your application is affected.

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

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-697: Incorrect Comparison, where the product compares two entities in a security-relevant context, but the comparison is incorrect. In Numpy, 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

Incomplete string comparison in the numpy.core component in NumPy1.9.x, which allows attackers to fail the APIs via constructing specific string objects.

CVE-2021-34141 Affected Numpy Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.22
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
numpy
pypi/numpy
PyPI
< 1.22
1.22

References

Numpy Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/numpy/numpy
NVD — CVE-2021-34141 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34141
Numpy Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/18993
Numpy Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/18993#issuecomment-1010735102
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-fpfv-jqm9-f5jm
Numpy Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/numpy/PYSEC-2021-855.yaml
Numpy Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-34141?
CVE-2021-34141 is a security vulnerability in Numpy involving Incorrect Comparison in NumPy under CWE-697: Incorrect Comparison.
Which Numpy versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.22 across affected packages: numpy.
What version fixes CVE-2021-34141?
Upgrading to 1.22 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is numpy affected?
Yes, numpy is affected in releases prior to 1.22. Upgrade your dependency to 1.22 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-34141?
CVE-2021-34141 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-34141?
CVE-2021-34141 is classified under CWE-697: Incorrect Comparison (The product compares two entities in a security-relevant context, but the comparison is incorrect.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2021-34141?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show numpy'. 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 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-fpfv-jqm9-f5jm",
  "modified" : "2022-06-21T20:12:53Z",
  "published" : "2021-12-18T00:00:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-34141" ],
  "summary" : "Incorrect Comparison in NumPy",
  "details" : "Incomplete string comparison in the numpy.core component in NumPy1.9.x, which allows attackers to fail the APIs via constructing specific string objects.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "numpy"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34141"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/18993"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/18993#issuecomment-1010735102"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-fpfv-jqm9-f5jm"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/numpy/numpy"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/numpy/PYSEC-2021-855.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-697" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-21T20:12:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-12-17T19:15:00Z"
  }
}