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Security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVCVE: CVE-2021-37659

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in all binary cwise operations that don't require broadcasting (e.g., gradients of binary cwise operations). The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/84d053187cb80d975ef2b9684d4b61981bca0c41/tensorflow/core/kernels/cwise_ops_common.h#L264) assumes that the two inputs have exactly the same number of elements but does not check that. Hence, when the eigen functor executes it triggers heap OOB reads and undefined behavior due to binding to nullptr. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec. 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
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Fixed versions
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CVEs
CVE-2021-37659
Confirmed fixed CVEs
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Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 12:46 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

CVE-2021-37659

core-osv · Original source

Published 12 Aug 2021, 21:15 UTC

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in all binary cwise operations that don't require broadcasting (e.g., gradients of binary cwise operations). The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/84d053187cb80d975ef2b9684d4b61981bca0c41/tensorflow/core/kernels/cwise_ops_common.h#L264) assumes that the two inputs have exactly the same number of elements but does not check that. Hence, when the eigen functor executes it triggers heap OOB reads and undefined behavior due to binding to nullptr. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec. 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-2021-37659
Complete source record
{
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  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-37659",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "CVE-2021-37659",
    "summary": "TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions an attacker can cause undefined behavior via binding a reference to null pointer in all binary cwise operations that don't require broadcasting (e.g., gradients of binary cwise operations). The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/84d053187cb80d975ef2b9684d4b61981bca0c41/tensorflow/core/kernels/cwise_ops_common.h#L264) assumes that the two inputs have exactly the same number of elements but does not check that. Hence, when the eigen functor executes it triggers heap OOB reads and undefined behavior due to binding to nullptr. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec. 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-2021-37659",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "high",
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      "aliases": [
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        "CVE-2021-37659",
        "GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc",
        "PYSEC-2021-281",
        "PYSEC-2021-572",
        "PYSEC-2021-770"
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      "metrics": [
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                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
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                        "introduced": "2.6.0-rc0"
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                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow:2.6.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
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                        "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"
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                    "source": "CPE_STRING"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
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                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
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          "versions": [
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            "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-2021-37659.json",
            "vanir_signatures": [
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                "source": "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec",
                "target": {
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                "deprecated": false,
                "signature_type": "Line",
                "signature_version": "v1"
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            "vanir_signatures_modified": "2026-10-20T14:28:14Z"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-20T14:28:14.732148055Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-q3g3-h9r4-prrc",
        "https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/93f428fd1768df147171ed674fee1fc5ab8309ec"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {}
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    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2021-37659",
        "evidence": "/id"
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    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 389026,
  "published_at": "2021-08-12T21:15:08.763+00:00"
}