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Severe, 6 weeks1498Projects326

1498 severe, 6 weeks · 326 projects

TensorFlowGHSA-vmjw-c2vp-p33c

Crash in NMS ops caused by integer conversion to unsigned

TensorFlow

CVE-2021-37669 · Published Aug 25, 2021 · updated Jul 8, 2026

Medium5.5
Fix: upgrade to 2.3.4 or later (3 fixed versions below)
GitHub advisory

Impact

An attacker can cause denial of service in applications serving models using tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5 by triggering a division by 0:

```python

import tensorflow as tf

tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5(

boxes=[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]],

scores=[1.0,2.0,3.0],

max_output_size=-1,

iou_threshold=0.5,

score_threshold=0.5,

soft_nms_sigma=1.0,

pad_to_max_output_size=True)

`

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:

```cc

const int output_size = max_output_size.scalar<int>()();

// ...

std::vector<int> selected;

// ...

if (pad_to_max_output_size) {

selected.resize(output_size, 0);

// ...

}

`

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 usigned. If the attacker supplies a negative value, this conversion results in a crash.

A similar issue occurs in CombinedNonMaxSuppression:

```python

import tensorflow as tf

tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5(

boxes=[[[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]],[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]],[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]]]],...

Affected versions

PackageAffectedFixed in
tensorflow
PyPI
< 2.3.42.3.4
>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.32.4.3
>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.12.5.1
Details and references

### Impact An attacker can cause denial of service in applications serving models using `tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5` by triggering a division by 0: ```python import tensorflow as tf tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5( boxes=[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]], scores=[1.0,2.0,3.0], max_output_size=-1, iou_threshold=0.5, score_threshold=0.5, soft_nms_sigma=1.0, pad_to_max_output_size=True) ``` 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`: ```cc const int output_size = max_output_size.scalar<int>()(); // ... std::vector<int> selected; // ... if (pad_to_max_output_size) { selected.resize(output_size, 0); // ... } ``` 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 usigned. If the attacker supplies a negative value, this conversion results in a crash. A similar issue occurs in `CombinedNonMaxSuppression`: ```python import tensorflow as tf tf.raw_ops.NonMaxSuppressionV5( boxes=[[[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]],[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]],[[0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1],[0.2,0.2,0.2,0.2],[0.3,0.3,0.3,0.3]]]], scores=[[[1.0,2.0,3.0],[1.0,2.0,3.0],[1.0,2.0,3.0]]], max_output_size_per_class=-1, max_total_size=10, iou_threshold=score_threshold=0.5, pad_per_class=True, clip_boxes=True) ``` ### Patches We have patched the issue in GitHub commit [3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d) and commit [b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/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. ### 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 members of the Aivul Team from Qihoo 360.

CVSS 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Severity from
GitHub (reviewed advisory)
Weakness
CWE-681
Also known as
BIT-tensorflow-2021-37669, CVE-2021-37669, PYSEC-2021-291, PYSEC-2021-582, PYSEC-2021-780

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