Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
NVCaffe listed a Python dependency name, `gfortran`, that did not exist on PyPI. This created a dependency-confusion risk: if someone published a malicious package with that name, NVCaffe users could install attacker-controlled code during setup. The bundle rates this high severity, but provides no evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority supply-chain hygiene issue for ML build environments using NVCaffe. Prioritize validation of build pipelines and dependency sources over emergency incident response unless local evidence shows suspicious package installation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-39158 affects NVIDIA caffe/NVCaffe dependency metadata. The Python required dependencies list included the nonexistent PyPI package `gfortran`, creating an opportunity for malicious package substitution during dependency installation. The source bundle reports high CVSS 8.8 and CWE-345. The exact fixed-version boundary is unclear because the bundle mentions both prior to 0.17.4 and affected <=0.17.4.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in environments that build or install NVCaffe with Python dependency resolution against public PyPI, especially older or unpinned installs. Runtime-only deployments are less clearly exposed unless they rebuild dependencies.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. Exploitation would depend on a user or build system resolving the nonexistent dependency from a malicious public package source.
Researcher notes
The vulnerability is dependency confusion caused by an unclaimed package name in dependency metadata. The public bundle is thin and contains a version-boundary inconsistency, so researchers should avoid overclaiming affected ranges beyond the NVIDIA advisory and CVE record.
Mitigation direction
- Check NVIDIA’s GitHub advisory for authoritative corrected version guidance.
- Audit NVCaffe dependency files for the `gfortran` PyPI dependency entry.
- Use pinned, reviewed dependencies for NVCaffe builds.
- Restrict builds to trusted package indexes or approved mirrors.
- Review build logs for unexpected package downloads from PyPI.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems and pipelines that install or build NVIDIA caffe/NVCaffe.
- Identify installed NVCaffe versions and compare against NVIDIA’s advisory.
- Inspect dependency manifests for the invalid `gfortran` package reference.
- Review CI and build histories for unexpected `gfortran` package resolution.
- Confirm no unapproved package artifacts entered build caches.
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-345: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-39158 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/NVIDIA/caffe/security/advisories/GHSA-fmpp-8pwg-vwh9CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.
Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.