CVE-2021-29519 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A detailed overview of CVE-2021-29519, a vulnerability in TensorFlow affecting certain versions that could lead to denial of service due to type confusion in SparseCross API.

Understanding CVE-2021-29519

This section provides insights into the nature and impact of the vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-29519?

The vulnerability in TensorFlow stemmed from a type confusion issue in the

tf.raw_ops.SparseCross

API, allowing specific combinations to trigger a

CHECK

-failure and potentially result in a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2021-29519

The vulnerability poses a low-severity risk with a CVSS base score of 2.5. It requires low privileges but has a high attack complexity, potential for a local vector, and a low availability impact.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-29519

Explore the technical aspects and implications of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the mishandling of

tstring

and integral elements, leading to type confusion and subsequent service denial.

Affected Systems and Versions

The impacted versions include TensorFlow < 2.1.4, >= 2.2.0 and < 2.2.3, >= 2.3.0 and < 2.3.3, and >= 2.4.0 and < 2.4.2.

Exploitation Mechanism

By exploiting the mismatch between

DT_STRING

and

DT_INT64

types, attackers can manipulate inputs to trigger the vulnerability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Learn about the steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to TensorFlow version 2.5.0 or apply patches for versions 2.1.4, 2.2.3, 2.3.3, and 2.4.2.

Long-Term Security Practices

Enforce strict input validation and data type checking to prevent type confusion vulnerabilities in machine learning applications.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and commit updates from TensorFlow to ensure timely application of fixes.