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VulnerabilityPublished

CVE-2025-52884: risc0-ethereum · Improper Handling of Invalid Use of Special Elements

Affects risc0-ethereumSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 1.7 Low : upgrade to 2.1.1 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
1.7Low
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 35% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 2.1.1
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 24 Jun 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade risc0/risc0-ethereum to 2.1.1.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
GitHubrisc0/risc0-ethereumpkg:github/risc0/risc0-ethereumOther threatsAffected
  • <2.1.1
Fixed in
  • 2.1.1

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

  1. Upgrade risc0-ethereum Steel Solidity library to version 2.1.1 or later to incorporate the official fix.
  2. Ensure that all applications using Steel.validateCommitment also perform zkVM proof verification of Steel programs as per the recommended usage pattern, referencing the ERC-20 counter example and official documentation.
  3. Conduct code audits to verify that no application logic relies solely on validateCommitment without zkVM proof verification.
  4. Implement automated testing to detect any acceptance of zero digest commitments to prevent misuse.
  5. Educate development teams on correct usage patterns of zero-knowledge proof libraries to avoid misuse that could lead to soundness compromises.
  6. Monitor risc0-ethereum project updates and community advisories for any related vulnerabilities or best practices.
  7. For organizations deploying smart contracts in production, consider additional external audits focusing on zero-knowledge proof validation logic to ensure robustness against similar issues.

Description

RISC Zero is a zero-knowledge verifiable general computing platform, with Ethereum integration. The risc0-ethereum repository contains Solidity verifier contracts, Steel EVM view call library, and supporting code. Prior to versions 2.1.1 and 2.2.0, the `Steel.validateCommitment` Solidity library function will return `true` for a crafted commitment with a digest value of zero. This violates the semantics of `validateCommitment`, as this does not commitment to a block that is in the current chain. Because the digest is zero, it does not correspond to any block and there exist no known openings. As a result, this commitment will never be produced by a correct zkVM guest using Steel and leveraging this bug to compromise the soundness of a program using Steel would require a separate bug or misuse of the Steel library, which is expected to be used to validate the root of state opening proofs. A fix has been released as part of `risc0-ethereum` 2.1.1 and 2.2.0. Users for the `Steel` Solidity library versions 2.1.0 or earlier should ensure they are using `Steel.validateCommitment` in tandem with zkVM proof verification of a Steel program, as shown in the ERC-20 counter example, and documentation. This is the correct usage of Steel, and users following this pattern are not at risk, and do not need to take action. Users not verifying a zkVM proof of a Steel program should update their application to do so, as this is incorrect usage of Steel.

References

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