Vulnerability CVE-2021-37648

Vulnerability Name:

CVE-2021-37648 (CCN-207549)

Assigned:

2021-08-11

Published:

2021-08-11

Updated:

2021-08-18

Summary:

TensorFlow is an end-to-end open source platform for machine learning. In affected versions the code for `tf.raw_ops.SaveV2` does not properly validate the inputs and an attacker can trigger a null pointer dereference. The [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/8d72537c6abf5a44103b57b9c2e22c14f5f49698/tensorflow/core/kernels/save_restore_v2_ops.cc) uses `ValidateInputs` to check that the input arguments are valid. This validation would have caught the illegal state represented by the reproducer above. However, the validation uses `OP_REQUIRES` which translates to setting the `Status` object of the current `OpKernelContext` to an error status, followed by an empty `return` statement which just terminates the execution of the function it is present in. However, this does not mean that the kernel execution is finalized: instead, execution continues from the next line in `Compute` that follows the call to `ValidateInputs`. This is equivalent to lacking the validation. We have patched the issue in GitHub commit 9728c60e136912a12d99ca56e106b7cce7af5986. 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.

CVSS v3 Severity:

7.8 High (CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
6.8 Medium (Temporal CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C)

Exploitability Metrics:	Attack Vector (AV): Local Attack Complexity (AC): Low Privileges Required (PR): Low User Interaction (UI): None
Scope:	Scope (S): Unchanged
Impact Metrics:	Confidentiality (C): High Integrity (I): High Availibility (A): High

5.5 Medium (CCN CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)
4.8 Medium (CCN Temporal CVSS v3.1 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C)

Exploitability Metrics:	Attack Vector (AV): Local Attack Complexity (AC): Low Privileges Required (PR): Low User Interaction (UI): None
Scope:	Scope (S): Unchanged
Impact Metrics:	Confidentiality (C): None Integrity (I): None Availibility (A): High

CVSS v2 Severity:

4.6 Medium (CVSS v2 Vector: AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P)

Exploitability Metrics:	Access Vector (AV): Local Access Complexity (AC): Low Authentication (Au): None
Impact Metrics:	Confidentiality (C): Partial Integrity (I): Partial Availibility (A): Partial

4.6 Medium (CCN CVSS v2 Vector: AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:C)

Exploitability Metrics:	Access Vector (AV): Local Access Complexity (AC): Low Athentication (Au): Single_Instance
Impact Metrics:	Confidentiality (C): None Integrity (I): None Availibility (A): Complete