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Security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVCVE: CVE-2021-37669

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.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2021-37669
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 12:53 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

CVE-2021-37669

core-osv · Original source

Published 12 Aug 2021, 23:15 UTC

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.

osv:CVE-2021-37669
Complete source record
{
  "id": "60ad5e2d8a540eb29594cdc0de3fe3e6491dc32c88af844fd8ca7ccba1334076",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-37669",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "CVE-2021-37669",
    "summary": "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.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2021-37669",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2021-37669",
      "aliases": [
        "BIT-tensorflow-2021-37669",
        "CVE-2021-37669",
        "GHSA-vmjw-c2vp-p33c",
        "PYSEC-2021-291",
        "PYSEC-2021-582",
        "PYSEC-2021-780"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
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          "ranges": [
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              "repo": "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
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                  "introduced": "b36436b087bd8e8701ef51718179037cccdfc26e"
                },
                {
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                },
                {
                  "introduced": "582c8d236cb079023657287c318ff26adb239002"
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                {
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                },
                {
                  "introduced": "a4dfb8d1a71385bd6d122e4f27f86dcebb96712d"
                },
                {
                  "last_affected": "5368d50428b30b7c9ccd038aec65d09252d16596"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.3.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "2.3.4"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.4.0"
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                      {
                        "fixed": "2.4.3"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.5.0"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.5.0"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.6.0-rc0"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.6.0-rc0"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.6.0-rc1"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.6.0-rc1"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "2.6.0-rc2"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.6.0-rc2"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "2.5.0",
            "2.6.0-rc0",
            "2.6.0-rc1",
            "2.6.0-rc2",
            "v2.3.3",
            "v2.4.2",
            "v2.3.2",
            "v2.4.1",
            "v2.4.0",
            "v2.3.1",
            "v2.3.0"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2021-37669.json",
            "vanir_signatures": [
              {
                "id": "CVE-2021-37669-45ede400",
                "digest": {
                  "threshold": 0.9,
                  "line_hashes": [
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                    "259716413972326847501507267153295328511"
                  ]
                },
                "source": "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58",
                "target": {
                  "file": "tensorflow/core/kernels/image/non_max_suppression_op.cc"
                },
                "deprecated": false,
                "signature_type": "Line",
                "signature_version": "v1"
              }
            ],
            "vanir_signatures_modified": "2026-10-20T14:28:24Z"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-20T14:28:24.292623004Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-vmjw-c2vp-p33c",
        "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/3a7362750d5c372420aa8f0caf7bf5b5c3d0f52d",
        "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/b5cdbf12ffcaaffecf98f22a6be5a64bb96e4f58"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {}
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2021-37669",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 389056,
  "published_at": "2021-08-12T23:15:07.597+00:00"
}