---
id: CVE-2021-29557
aliases:
  - GHSA-xw93-v57j-fcgh
  - BIT-tensorflow-2021-29557
  - PYSEC-2021-194
  - PYSEC-2021-485
  - PYSEC-2021-683
title: Division by 0 in `SparseMatMul`
summary: Division by 0 in `SparseMatMul`
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-xw93-v57j-fcgh'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/security/advisories/GHSA-xw93-v57j-fcgh
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29557'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/7f283ff806b2031f407db64c4d3edcda8fb9f9f5
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-cpu/PYSEC-2021-485.yaml
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow-gpu/PYSEC-2021-683.yaml
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/tensorflow/PYSEC-2021-194.yaml
  - url: 'https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
epss: 0.00189
epssPercentile: 0.07655
ingestedAt: '2026-07-08T18:25:54.700Z'
---

## Overview

### Impact
An attacker can cause a denial of service via a FPE runtime error in `tf.raw_ops.SparseMatMul`:

```python
import tensorflow as tf

a = tf.constant([100.0, 100.0, 100.0, 100.0], shape=[2, 2], dtype=tf.float32)
b = tf.constant([], shape=[0, 2], dtype=tf.float32)

tf.raw_ops.SparseMatMul(
    a=a, b=b, transpose_a=True, transpose_b=True,
    a_is_sparse=True, b_is_sparse=True)
``` 
    
The division by 0 occurs deep in Eigen code because the `b` tensor is empty.
    
### Patches
We have patched the issue in GitHub commit [7f283ff806b2031f407db64c4d3edcda8fb9f9f5](https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/7f283ff806b2031f407db64c4d3edcda8fb9f9f5).

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 Ying Wang and Yakun Zhang 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`