CVE-2021-37692

Local process crash via failed string tensor encoding

Published Aug 12, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Improper input validation in TensorFlow 2.5.0 allows local users to crash a Go process by creating a malformed string tensor. NewTensor installs a garbage-collection finalizer before encoding succeeds, so failed encoding leaves TF_TString_Dealloc to process uninitialized entries. Exploitation requires local code execution in a Go program and interrupts only that process; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper input validation in TensorFlow 2.5.0 allows local users to crash a Go process by creating a malformed string tensor. NewTensor installs a garbage-collection finalizer before encoding succeeds, so failed encoding leaves TF_TString_Dealloc to process uninitialized entries. Exploitation requires local code execution in a Go program and interrupts only that process; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-37692
Published
Aug 12, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Google
Product
TensorFlow
Classifications
CWE-20
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 12, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · TensorFlowversion=>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
5.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.8GitHubCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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