CVE-2021-37661: TensorFlow denial of service in boosted_trees_create_quantile_stream_resource

Summary

CVE-2021-37661 affects TensorFlow, an open source machine learning platform. In affected versions, an attacker can trigger a denial of service in `boosted_trees_create_quantile_stream_resource` by passing negative arguments. The implementation does not validate that `num_streams` contains only non-negative numbers, so a negative value is implicitly converted to a large unsigned integer passed to `reserve`, causing a crash from the standard library.

Mitigation

Patched in GitHub commit 8a84f7a2b5a2b27ecf88d25bad9ac777cd2f7992. The fix will be included in TensorFlow 2.6.0, and the commit will be cherry-picked to TensorFlow 2.5.1, 2.4.3 and 2.3.4.

Affected packages in the Exposure Registry

Matched by package name and ecosystem. Each entry shows whether the package delegates to a language model and how many tracked packages depend on it.

• tensorflowPyPINo LLM dependency detected · 26 tracked dependents
• tensorflow-gpuPyPINo LLM dependency detected · 2 tracked dependents

Related items

• LowCloakFEM: Agentic FEM Code Generation for Red-Teaming Computational Resource ExhaustionSimilar attack · Arxiv (cs.CR + cs.CL + cs.LG)
• MediumThe Rise of LLMJacking: How Threat Actors Monetize Compromised Cloud and Model ResourcesSimilar attack · Google Threat Intelligence
• InfoThe Blind Spots of Detection: Adversarial Perturbation Attacks against Watchdogs in Distributed LLM InferenceSimilar attack · Arxiv (cs.CR + cs.CL + cs.LG)
• HighCVE-2026-118761: Kubeflow Pipelines decompression bomb in pipeline archive uploadSimilar attack · NVD/CVE Database
• LowOpenCode User Hit with Hostile Backlash After Reporting Free AI LoopholeSimilar attack · Socket Blog