CVE-2025-52884: Risc0 ethereum contracts RISC Zero Ethereum Invalid Commitment Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-gjv3-89hh-9xq2",
  "modified" : "2025-06-25T21:28:00Z",
  "published" : "2025-06-25T21:27:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-52884" ],
  "summary" : "RISC Zero Ethereum invalid commitment with digest value of zero accepted by Steel.validateCommitment",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nPrior to 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.\n\nThis 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. Leveraging this bug to compromise the soundness of an application 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 (e.g. having the guest commit to a digest of zero, or failing to check the zkVM proof).\n\nBecause this bug does not risk application integrity, correctly written applications are not at risk.\n\n### Fix\n\nPlease see [#605] for a full description of the bug, and the fix. This fix has been released as part of `risc0-ethereum` [2.1.1] and [2.2.0].\n\n### Recommended actions\n\nUsers 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][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.\n\nUsers not verifying a zkVM proof of a Steel program should update their application to do so, as this is incorrect usage of Steel.\n\n### Credit\n\nA thank you to Daniel526 on HackenProof for reporting this issue\n\n[#605]: https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/pull/605\n[example]: https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/blob/ff0cb9253a87945b653b825711b8b5075f8b7545/examples/erc20-counter/contracts/src/Counter.sol#L56-L63\n[documentation]: https://docs.beboundless.xyz/developers/steel/how-it-works#verifying-the-proof-onchain\n[2.1.1]: https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/releases/tag/v2.1.1\n[2.2.0]: https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/releases/tag/v2.2.0",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "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"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "risc0-ethereum-contracts"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/security/advisories/GHSA-gjv3-89hh-9xq2"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-52884"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/pull/605"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/commit/3bbac859c7132b21ba5fdf2d47f1dd52e7e73d98"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://docs.beboundless.xyz/developers/steel/how-it-works#verifying-the-proof-onchain"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/blob/ff0cb9253a87945b653b825711b8b5075f8b7545/examples/erc20-counter/contracts/src/Counter.sol#L56-L63"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/releases/tag/v2.1.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/risc0/risc0-ethereum/releases/tag/v2.2.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-159" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-06-25T21:27:59Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-06-24T21:15:26Z"
  }
}