Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This TensorFlow flaw can crash or corrupt behavior when a specific decompression operation receives an unexpected tensor type. The issue matters most in environments where users, jobs, notebooks, or pipelines can run TensorFlow code on shared infrastructure. Provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for shared ML platforms, research notebooks, and production pipelines that run user-controlled TensorFlow workloads. Lower urgency applies where TensorFlow is not present or only trusted code runs. Patch during the next controlled dependency update if exposure is internal and tightly controlled.
Technical view
CVE-2021-37649 is a CWE-476 null pointer dereference in TensorFlow raw_ops.UncompressElement. The implementation retrieved a CompressedElement pointer from a Variant tensor and dereferenced it without verifying the Variant held that type. TensorFlow patched the issue in commit 7bdf50bb4f5c54a4997c379092888546c97c3ebd.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to affected TensorFlow versions: >=2.5.0 and <2.5.1, >=2.4.0 and <2.4.3, and versions before 2.3.4. Risk is higher on shared ML platforms or systems accepting untrusted TensorFlow workloads, models, or notebooks.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction. The source bundle marks KEV as false, and no cited source confirms active exploitation. Treat this as a denial-of-service and integrity risk in affected TensorFlow execution contexts.
Researcher notes
The vulnerability is type-confusion-adjacent at the Variant handling boundary, resulting in a null dereference in UncompressElement. The provided sources identify the fixing commit and patched release plan but do not provide evidence of exploitation in the wild or broader affected products beyond TensorFlow.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade TensorFlow to 2.6.0 or a fixed supported release.
- For supported older branches, use 2.5.1, 2.4.3, or 2.3.4 as applicable.
- Check TensorFlow’s advisory before choosing a remediation version.
- Restrict untrusted TensorFlow execution on shared ML systems until patched.
Validation and detection
- Inventory TensorFlow versions across applications, notebooks, containers, and ML workers.
- Check for affected version ranges listed in the advisory.
- Review whether untrusted users can run TensorFlow jobs locally.
- Search code for raw_ops.UncompressElement usage.
- Run normal ML regression tests after upgrading TensorFlow.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-476: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-37649 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H2.55.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.7HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-6gv8-p3vj-pxvrCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/7bdf50bb4f5c54a4997c379092888546c97c3ebdCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
NULL Pointer Dereference
NULL Pointer Dereference represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.