Null pointer dereference in `EditDistance`
Description
TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. An attacker can trigger a null pointer dereference in the implementation of tf.raw_ops.EditDistance. This is because the implementation(https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/79865b542f9ffdc9caeb255631f7c56f1d4b6517/tensorflow/core/kernels/edit_distance_op.cc#L103-L159) has incomplete validation of the input parameters. 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.
Affected packages
Versions sourced from the GitHub Security Advisory.
| Package | Affected versions | Patched versions |
|---|---|---|
tensorflowPyPI | < 2.1.4 | 2.1.4 |
tensorflowPyPI | >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3 | 2.2.3 |
tensorflowPyPI | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3 | 2.3.3 |
tensorflowPyPI | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2 | 2.4.2 |
tensorflow-cpuPyPI | < 2.1.4 | 2.1.4 |
tensorflow-cpuPyPI | >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3 | 2.2.3 |
tensorflow-cpuPyPI | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3 | 2.3.3 |
tensorflow-cpuPyPI | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2 | 2.4.2 |
tensorflow-gpuPyPI | < 2.1.4 | 2.1.4 |
tensorflow-gpuPyPI | >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3 | 2.2.3 |
tensorflow-gpuPyPI | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3 | 2.3.3 |
tensorflow-gpuPyPI | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2 | 2.4.2 |
Affected products
1- Range: < 2.1.4
Patches
1f4c364a5d688Fix multiple issues in EditDistance
1 file changed · +47 −0
tensorflow/core/kernels/edit_distance_op.cc+47 −0 modified@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ Status ValidateShapes(OpKernelContext* ctx, const Tensor& hypothesis_indices, return errors::InvalidArgument( "truth_shape should be a vector, but got shape: ", truth_shape.shape().DebugString()); + if (hypothesis_values.NumElements() != hypothesis_indices.dim_size(0)) + return errors::InvalidArgument( + "Expected hypothesis_values.NumElements == " + "#rows(hypothesis_indices), their shapes are: ", + hypothesis_values.shape().DebugString(), " and ", + hypothesis_indices.shape().DebugString()); if (hypothesis_shape.NumElements() != hypothesis_indices.dim_size(1)) return errors::InvalidArgument( "Expected hypothesis_shape.NumElements == " @@ -75,6 +81,12 @@ Status ValidateShapes(OpKernelContext* ctx, const Tensor& hypothesis_indices, "Input SparseTensors must have rank at least 2, but truth_shape " "rank is: ", truth_shape.NumElements()); + if (truth_values.NumElements() != truth_indices.dim_size(0)) + return errors::InvalidArgument( + "Expected truth_values.NumElements == " + "#rows(truth_indices), their shapes are: ", + truth_values.shape().DebugString(), " and ", + truth_indices.shape().DebugString()); if (truth_shape.NumElements() != truth_indices.dim_size(1)) return errors::InvalidArgument( "Expected truth_shape.NumElements == " @@ -153,6 +165,11 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { output_shape.AddDim(std::max(hypothesis_st_shape.dim_size(d), truth_st_shape.dim_size(d))); } + const auto output_elements = output_shape.num_elements(); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, output_elements > 0, + errors::InvalidArgument("Got output shape ", output_shape.DebugString(), + " which has 0 elements")); Tensor* output = nullptr; OP_REQUIRES_OK(ctx, ctx->allocate_output("output", output_shape, &output)); @@ -185,6 +202,12 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { if (g_truth == g_hypothesis) { auto loc = std::inner_product(g_truth.begin(), g_truth.end(), output_strides.begin(), int64{0}); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, loc < output_elements, + errors::Internal("Got an inner product ", loc, + " which would require in writing to outside of " + "the buffer for the output tensor (max elements ", + output_elements, ")")); output_t(loc) = gtl::LevenshteinDistance<T>(truth_seq, hypothesis_seq, cmp); if (normalize_) output_t(loc) /= truth_seq.size(); @@ -194,6 +217,12 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { } else if (g_truth > g_hypothesis) { // zero-length truth auto loc = std::inner_product(g_hypothesis.begin(), g_hypothesis.end(), output_strides.begin(), int64{0}); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, loc < output_elements, + errors::Internal("Got an inner product ", loc, + " which would require in writing to outside of " + "the buffer for the output tensor (max elements ", + output_elements, ")")); output_t(loc) = hypothesis_seq.size(); if (normalize_ && output_t(loc) != 0.0f) { output_t(loc) = std::numeric_limits<float>::infinity(); @@ -202,6 +231,12 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { } else { // zero-length hypothesis auto loc = std::inner_product(g_truth.begin(), g_truth.end(), output_strides.begin(), int64{0}); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, loc < output_elements, + errors::Internal("Got an inner product ", loc, + " which would require in writing to outside of " + "the buffer for the output tensor (max elements ", + output_elements, ")")); output_t(loc) = (normalize_) ? 1.0 : truth_seq.size(); ++truth_iter; } @@ -212,6 +247,12 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { auto hypothesis_seq = hypothesis_j.values<T>(); auto loc = std::inner_product(g_hypothesis.begin(), g_hypothesis.end(), output_strides.begin(), int64{0}); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, loc < output_elements, + errors::Internal("Got an inner product ", loc, + " which would require in writing to outside of the " + "buffer for the output tensor (max elements ", + output_elements, ")")); output_t(loc) = hypothesis_seq.size(); if (normalize_ && output_t(loc) != 0.0f) { output_t(loc) = std::numeric_limits<float>::infinity(); @@ -224,6 +265,12 @@ class EditDistanceOp : public OpKernel { auto truth_seq = truth_i.values<T>(); auto loc = std::inner_product(g_truth.begin(), g_truth.end(), output_strides.begin(), int64{0}); + OP_REQUIRES( + ctx, loc < output_elements, + errors::Internal("Got an inner product ", loc, + " which would require in writing to outside of the " + "buffer for the output tensor (max elements ", + output_elements, ")")); output_t(loc) = (normalize_) ? 1.0 : truth_seq.size(); ++truth_iter; }
Vulnerability mechanics
Generated by null/stub on May 9, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.
References
7- github.com/advisories/GHSA-75f6-78jr-4656ghsaADVISORY
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29564ghsaADVISORY
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-492.yamlghsaWEB
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-690.yamlghsaWEB
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-201.yamlghsaWEB
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/f4c364a5d6880557f6f5b6eb5cee2c407f0186b3ghsax_refsource_MISCWEB
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-75f6-78jr-4656ghsax_refsource_CONFIRMWEB
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