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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2020-15201: Heap buffer overflow in Tensorflow

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 19/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.56% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: tensorflow (PyPI) 2.3.1; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) 2.3.1; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) 2.3.1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to tensorflow (PyPI) 2.3.1; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) 2.3.1; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) 2.3.1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In Tensorflow before version 2.3.1, the `RaggedCountSparseOutput` implementation does not validate that the input arguments form a valid ragged tensor. In particular, there is no validation that the values in the `splits` tensor generate a valid partitioning of the `values` tensor. Hence, the code is prone to heap buffer overflow. If `split_values` does not end with a value at least `num_values` then the `while` loop condition will trigger a read outside of the bounds of `split_values` once `batch_idx` grows too large. The issue is patched in commit 3cbb917b4714766030b28eba9fb41bb97ce9ee02 and is released in TensorFlow version 2.3.1.

MediumCVSS 4.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Sep 25, 2020
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
0.5% · 46th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

19

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
19 / 40 · 4.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.5%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
4.8
CNA · GitHub_M
4.8
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
googletensorflow

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • google tensorflow2.3.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • tensorflow tensorflow

    • = 2.3.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
PyPItensorflowfrom 2.3.0 · before 2.3.12.3.1
PyPItensorflowbefore 2.3.12.3.1
PyPItensorflow-cpufrom 2.3.0 · before 2.3.12.3.1
PyPItensorflow-cpubefore 2.3.12.3.1
PyPItensorflow-gpufrom 2.3.0 · before 2.3.12.3.1
PyPItensorflow-gpubefore 2.3.12.3.1

Same product

google: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2023-25668TensorFlow vulnerable to heap out-of-buffer read in the QuantizeAndDequantize operation
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2023-25664TensorFlow vulnerable to Heap Buffer Overflow in AvgPoolGrad
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2022-41900FractionalMaxPool and FractionalAVGPool heap out-of-bounds acess in Tensorflow
    39Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-15199Sep 25, 2020 · Denial of Service in Tensorflow
    23Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-15200Sep 25, 2020 · Segfault in Tensorflow
    23Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2020-15202Sep 25, 2020 · Integer truncation in Shard API usage
    36Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
PyPI:tensorflow2.3.1Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:tensorflow-cpu2.3.1Package registry (OSV)
PyPI:tensorflow-gpu2.3.1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
low · data can be read
Integrity
low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
Low
Integrity impact
Low
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records