# CVE-2022-21737: Assertion failure based denial of service in Tensorflow

> Attackers can cause denial of service in TensorFlow by passing malicious arguments to Bincount operations, triggering assertion failures.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Feb 2022
- **Updated:** 5 May 2025
- **Also known as:** BIT-tensorflow-2022-21737, GHSA-f2vv-v9cg-qhh7, PYSEC-2022-116, PYSEC-2022-61, PYSEC-2026-3164

## What is CVE-2022-21737?

CVE-2022-21737 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Google Tensorflow, published on 3 Feb 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Tensorflow is an Open Source Machine Learning Framework. The implementation of `*Bincount` operations allows malicious users to cause denial of service by passing in arguments which would trigger a `CHECK`-fail. There are several conditions that the input arguments must satisfy. Some are not caught during shape inference and others are not caught during kernel implementation. This results in `CHECK` failures later when the output tensors get allocated. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.8.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.7.1, TensorFlow 2.6.3, and TensorFlow 2.5.3, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

Weakness: CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-21737?

22 open source packages ship an affected version, including tensorflow, tensorflow-cpu and tensorflow-gpu. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `tensorflow` | Bitnami | All versions | 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3, 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow-cpu` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3, 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | All versions | 2.5.3 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | From 2.6.0 | 2.6.3 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |
| `tensorflow-gpu` | PyPI | From 2.7.0 | 2.7.1 |

Products: Google Tensorflow.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-21737?

Upgrade tensorflow to a fixed version for your release line: 2.5.3, 2.6.3 or 2.7.1.

## Is CVE-2022-21737 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-21737 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Tensorflow

- [CVE-2023-25668](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25668/): TensorFlow vulnerable to heap out-of-buffer read in the QuantizeAndDequantize operation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-7575](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7575/): Integer Overflow or Wraparound in Google TensorFlow (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-37678](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37678/): Arbitrary code execution due to YAML deserialization (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2021-35958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35958/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2020-15202](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15202/): Integer truncation in Shard API usage (critical 9.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-21737 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-21737 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Google Tensorflow, published on 3 Feb 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-21737 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- tensorflow (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3, 2.6.3, 2.7.1
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected from 2.6.0; fixed in 2.6.3
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected from 2.6.0; fixed in 2.6.3
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected from 2.7.0; fixed in 2.7.1
- tensorflow (PyPI): affected from 2.7.0; fixed in 2.7.1
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3, 2.6.3
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.5.3
- tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): affected from 2.6.0; fixed in 2.6.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-21737/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-21737/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-21737
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-21737
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-21737

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-21737/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
