CVE-2022-41909: Segfault in TensorFlow triggered by invalid CompositeTensorVariant input

Attention all TensorFlow users! A new vulnerability, CVE-2022-41909, has been discovered in the TensorFlow machine learning library, which could potentially cause a segmentation fault. TensorFlow is an open source platform that is widely used for developing and deploying machine learning models. In this post, we will dive into the details of this vulnerability, the affected versions of TensorFlow, and what you need to do to protect your applications.

The Vulnerability: Segfault in tf.raw_ops.CompositeTensorVariantToComponents

The vulnerability resides in the tf.raw_ops.CompositeTensorVariantToComponents function. When this function is provided with an input named encoded that is not a valid CompositeTensorVariant tensor, it will trigger a segmentation fault (segfault). A segfault is a specific kind of error caused by a program trying to access memory that it is not allowed to access. In the context of TensorFlow, this can lead to crashes and other issues that can be exploited by an attacker to compromise the security of the system running the TensorFlow code.

Here is a code snippet that demonstrates the triggering of the vulnerability

import tensorflow as tf

# An invalid CompositeTensorVariant input
invalid_input = tf.constant("this is not a valid CompositeTensorVariant")

# The vulnerable function call
tf.raw_ops.CompositeTensorVariantToComponents(variant=invalid_input)

The above code, when executed, will result in a segmentation fault due to the invalid input.

The Fix: Patches and Affected Versions

The TensorFlow team has already addressed this issue in GitHub commits bf594d08d377dc6a3354d9fdb494b32d45f91971 and 660ce5a89eb6766834bdc303d2ab3902aef99d3d. The fix will be incorporated in the upcoming TensorFlow 2.11 release.

If you are using any of the affected versions (TensorFlow 2.10.1, 2.9.3, or 2.8.4), do not worry! The TensorFlow team will also be cherry-picking this commit to these versions, as they are still within the range of supported releases. Keep an eye out for updates in these versions to ensure your installations remain secure.

To protect your applications from this vulnerability, you should do the following

1. Upgrade to TensorFlow 2.11 once it's released, or apply the patches provided by the TensorFlow team if you are using the affected versions (2.10.1, 2.9.3, or 2.8.4).
2. Always validate your inputs, especially when using the tf.raw_ops.CompositeTensorVariantToComponents function. Ensure that the CompositeTensorVariant input is valid before passing it to the function.

Stay vigilant, and always keep your TensorFlow installations up-to-date to minimize the risk of security vulnerabilities. Happy coding!

Timeline

Published on: 11/18/2022 22:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 07/10/2023 16:50:00 UTC