Null pointer dereference in TensorFlow

Overview

Impact

When building an XLA compilation cache, if default settings are used, TensorFlow triggers a null pointer dereference:

  string allowed_gpus =
      flr->config_proto()->gpu_options().visible_device_list();

In the default scenario, all devices are allowed, so flr->config_proto is nullptr.

Patches

We have patched the issue in GitHub commit e21af685e1828f7ca65038307df5cc06de4479e8. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.8.0. We will also cherrypick this commit on TensorFlow 2.7.1, TensorFlow 2.6.3, and TensorFlow 2.5.3, as these are also affected and still in supported range.

For more information

Please consult our security guide for more information regarding the security model and how to contact us with issues and questions.

Affected packages

• tensorflow < 2.5.3
• tensorflow >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3
• tensorflow >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1
• tensorflow-cpu < 2.5.3
• tensorflow-cpu >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3
• tensorflow-cpu >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1
• tensorflow-gpu < 2.5.3
• tensorflow-gpu >= 2.6.0, < 2.6.3
• tensorflow-gpu >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.1

Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

• tensorflow 2.5.3
• tensorflow 2.6.3
• tensorflow 2.7.1
• tensorflow-cpu 2.5.3
• tensorflow-cpu 2.6.3
• tensorflow-cpu 2.7.1
• tensorflow-gpu 2.5.3
• tensorflow-gpu 2.6.3
• tensorflow-gpu 2.7.1