CVE-2021-37669

Crash in NMS ops caused by integer conversion to unsigned in TensorFlow

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: August 12, 2021 at 10:55 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 04:00 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsTensorflowTensorFlow

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause denial of service in applications serving models using `tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5` by triggering a division by 0. The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/460e000de3a83278fb00b61a16d161b1964f15f4/tensorflow/core/kernels/image/non_max_suppression_op.cc#L170-L271) uses a user controlled argument to resize a `std::vector`. However, as `std::vector::resize` takes the size argument as a `size_t` and `output_size` is an `int`, there is an implicit conversion to unsigned. If the attacker supplies a negative value, this conversion results in a crash. A similar issue occurs in `CombinedNonMaxSuppression`. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d and commit [b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58. 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.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

2.3.0 ≤ v < 2.3.42.4.0 ≤ v < 2.4.32.5.02.6.0 rc02.6.0 rc12.6.0 rc2
Affected range stops below 2.3.4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 2.4.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
v < 2.3.4v < 2.4.3v < 2.5.1
Affected range stops below 2.3.4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 2.4.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 2.5.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

CVSS

5.5MEDIUMGitHub_M
Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-681

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