CVE-2021-29576 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in

MaxPool3DGradGrad

in TensorFlow. This article provides an overview of the CVE-2021-29576, including its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

Understanding CVE-2021-29576

This section covers the details of the CVE-2021-29576 vulnerability in TensorFlow.

What is CVE-2021-29576?

TensorFlow's implementation of

tf.raw_ops.MaxPool3DGradGrad

is susceptible to a heap buffer overflow due to improper validation of

Pool3dParameters

initialization.

The Impact of CVE-2021-29576

The vulnerability poses a LOW severity risk with a CVSS base score of 2.5. Attack complexity is HIGH, but privileges required are LOW with a LOCAL attack vector.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-29576

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE-2021-29576 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the incomplete validation of

Pool3dParameters

initialization, leading to a heap buffer overflow that could be exploited based on default values.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions of TensorFlow prior to 2.1.4, between 2.2.0 and 2.2.3, 2.3.0 and 2.3.3, and 2.4.0 and 2.4.2 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker with low privileges using a local attack vector to potentially cause a heap buffer overflow.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the steps to mitigate the CVE-2021-29576 vulnerability in TensorFlow.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update TensorFlow to version 2.5.0 to address the vulnerability. For older versions, patches are available for TensorFlow 2.4.2, 2.3.3, 2.2.3, and 2.1.4.

Long-Term Security Practices

Practicing secure coding techniques, regular software updates, and monitoring for security advisories can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches and updates for TensorFlow is crucial to ensure protection against known vulnerabilities.