CVE-2022-29208: PYSEC-2026-943 - Segfault and OOB write due to incomplete validation in `EditDistance` in TensorFlow

CVE-2022-29208 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2026-07-06

TensorFlow's EditDistance operation is used for computing string similarity metrics in machine learning models. An attacker can pass specially crafted negative values to trigger a segmentation fault or corrupt memory by writing outside array bounds, causing service crashes or potential code execution in applications that process untrusted input.

Technologies: Google TensorFlow, tensorflow (PyPI), tensorflow-cpu (PyPI), tensorflow-gpu (PyPI). Vendors: Google, PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2022-29208 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2022-29208 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2022-29208?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 6 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Google TensorFlow prior to 2.6.4, 2.7.0-2.7.1, 2.8.0; tensorflow (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.6.4,introduced=2.7.0,fixed=2.7.2,introduced=2.8.0,fixed=2.8.1; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.6.4,introduced=2.7.0,fixed=2.7.2,introduced=2.8.0,fixed=2.8.1; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.6.4,introduced=2.7.0,fixed=2.7.2,introduced=2.8.0,fixed=2.8.1.
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-29208?
Yes. tensorflow (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later; tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later; tensorflow-gpu (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2022-29208 attacked?
It is attacked with local access.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-29208?
Check whether you run Google TensorFlow, tensorflow (PyPI), tensorflow-cpu (PyPI) or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • tensorflow (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later
    pip install "tensorflow>=2.8.1"
  • tensorflow-cpu (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later
    pip install "tensorflow-cpu>=2.8.1"
  • tensorflow-gpu (PyPI): upgrade to 2.8.1 or later
    pip install "tensorflow-gpu>=2.8.1"

Technical details

The vulnerability exists in tf.raw_ops.EditDistance due to incomplete input validation. The operation computes an array write index using std::inner_product but validates only the upper bound, allowing negative indices when crafted with negative input values. This results in out-of-bounds writes before the allocated buffer, causing either segmentation faults (denial of service) or memory corruption. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to TensorFlow 2.6.4, with patches available for 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1, and 2.9.0. Exploitation requires local access and ability to invoke the EditDistance operation with untrusted parameters.

Affected products

  • Google TensorFlow prior to 2.6.4, 2.7.0-2.7.1, 2.8.0
  • Google TensorFlow CPU 1.15.0, 2.1.0-2.1.4, 2.2.0-2.2.3, 2.3.0-2.3.4, 2.4.0-2.4.4, 2.5.0-2.5.3, 2.6.0-2.6.3

Identifiers

  • CVE-2022-29208
  • GHSA-2r2f-g8mw-9gvr
  • PYSEC-2026-3088
  • PYSEC-2026-3266
  • PYSEC-2026-943

Timeline

  • 2022-05-24: disclosed
  • 2022-05-24: patched: Patches released for TensorFlow 2.6.4, 2.7.2, 2.8.1, and 2.9.0

References

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