CVE-2020-15213: Denial of service in tensorflow-lite
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 16/100)
- 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: 0.76% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 55.1% of all records.
- 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) 2.2.1, 2.3.1; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) 2.2.1, 2.3.1; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) 2.2.1, 2.3.1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to tensorflow (PyPI) 2.2.1, 2.3.1; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) 2.2.1, 2.3.1; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) 2.2.1, 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 Lite before versions 2.2.1 and 2.3.1, models using segment sum can trigger a denial of service by causing an out of memory allocation in the implementation of segment sum. Since code uses the last element of the tensor holding them to determine the dimensionality of output tensor, attackers can use a very large value to trigger a large allocation. The issue is patched in commit 204945b19e44b57906c9344c0d00120eeeae178a and is released in TensorFlow versions 2.2.1, or 2.3.1. A potential workaround would be to add a custom `Verifier` to limit the maximum value in the segment ids tensor. This only handles the case when the segment ids are stored statically in the model, but a similar validation could be done if the segment ids are generated at runtime, between inference steps. However, if the segment ids are generated as outputs of a tensor during inference steps, then there are no possible workaround and users are advised to upgrade to patched code.
- Published
- Sep 25, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.7% · 55th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-119
Report tools
Action score
16
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 16 / 40 · 4.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.7%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 4.0
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 4.0
- 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
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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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.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected 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.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| tensorflow | cpe:2.3:a:google:tensorflow |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- google tensorflow2.2.0 and later · before 2.2.1
- google tensorflow2.3.0 and later · before 2.3.1
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
- = 2.2.0, = 2.3.0affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | tensorflow | from 2.2.0 · before 2.2.1 | 2.2.1 |
| PyPI | tensorflow | from 2.3.0 · before 2.3.1 | 2.3.1 |
| PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | from 2.2.0 · before 2.2.1 | 2.2.1 |
| PyPI | tensorflow-cpu | from 2.3.0 · before 2.3.1 | 2.3.1 |
| PyPI | tensorflow-gpu | from 2.2.0 · before 2.2.1 | 2.2.1 |
| PyPI | tensorflow-gpu | from 2.3.0 · before 2.3.1 | 2.3.1 |
Same product
google: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2023-25668TensorFlow vulnerable to heap out-of-buffer read in the QuantizeAndDequantize operation39Monitor
- CVE-2023-25664TensorFlow vulnerable to Heap Buffer Overflow in AvgPoolGrad39Monitor
- CVE-2022-41900FractionalMaxPool and FractionalAVGPool heap out-of-bounds acess in Tensorflow39Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-15211Sep 25, 2020 · Out of bounds access in tensorflow-lite19Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-15212Sep 25, 2020 · Out of bounds access in tensorflow-lite34Monitor
- Later →CVE-2020-15214Sep 25, 2020 · Out of bounds write in tensorflow-lite32Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PyPI:tensorflow | 2.2.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:tensorflow | 2.3.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:tensorflow-cpu | 2.2.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:tensorflow-cpu | 2.3.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:tensorflow-gpu | 2.2.1 | Package registry (OSV) |
| PyPI:tensorflow-gpu | 2.3.1 | Package 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.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
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 researchersFinders, 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
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- low · the service can be disrupted
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- Low
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory BufferCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Buffer Overflow via Environment VariablesCAPEC-10likelihood: High · High
- Overflow BuffersCAPEC-100likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer ManipulationCAPEC-123likelihood: High · Very High
- Client-side Injection-induced Buffer OverflowCAPEC-14likelihood: Medium · High
- Filter Failure through Buffer OverflowCAPEC-24likelihood: High · High
- MIME ConversionCAPEC-42likelihood: High · High
- Overflow Binary Resource FileCAPEC-44likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer Overflow via Symbolic LinksCAPEC-45likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (1 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.