CVE-2026-2492
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on TensorFlow installations by exploiting an insecure plugin loading mechanism. Attackers who already have low-privileged access can load malicious plugins from unsecured locations to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges. This affects TensorFlow installations using the HDF5 library.
💻 Affected Systems
- TensorFlow
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attacker gains full system control by loading malicious plugins that execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Local user with limited access escalates privileges to execute code as another user or with higher permissions, enabling lateral movement or data access.
If Mitigated
With proper file permissions and security controls, attackers cannot write to plugin directories, preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and ability to write to plugin search paths. The vulnerability is documented in ZDI advisory ZDI-26-116.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: TensorFlow versions including commit 46e7f7fb144fd11cf6d17c23dd47620328d77082
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/commit/46e7f7fb144fd11cf6d17c23dd47620328d77082
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update TensorFlow to a version containing the security fix. 2. Verify the commit 46e7f7fb144fd11cf6d17c23dd47620328d77082 is included. 3. Rebuild any custom TensorFlow installations with the patched source.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict plugin directory permissions
linuxSet strict file permissions on TensorFlow plugin directories to prevent unauthorized writes
chmod 755 /path/to/tensorflow/plugins
chown root:root /path/to/tensorflow/plugins
Remove write access for non-admin users
allEnsure only trusted users can write to directories where TensorFlow loads plugins
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls on plugin directories to prevent unauthorized writes
- Monitor for suspicious file creation in TensorFlow plugin directories
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check TensorFlow version and verify if commit 46e7f7fb144fd11cf6d17c23dd47620328d77082 is present in the installationCheck Version:
python -c "import tensorflow as tf; print(tf.__version__)"Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm TensorFlow version includes the security fix commit and test plugin loading from restricted locations📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed plugin loading attempts
- Unauthorized file creation in plugin directories
- Process execution with unexpected privileges
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local exploitation vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Process creation events from TensorFlow with elevated privileges OR File creation in TensorFlow plugin directories by non-admin users