Erroneous handling of `record_external_operation` error return
Rust EVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine interpreter. In `rust-evm`, a feature called `record_external_operation` was introduced, allowing library users to record custom gas changes. This feature can have some bogus interactions with the call stack. In particular, during finalization of a `CREATE` or `CREATE2`, in the case that the substack execution happens successfully, `rust-evm` will first commit the substate, and then call `record_external_operation(Write(out_code.len()))`. If `record_external_operation` later fails, this error is returned to the parent call stack, instead of `Succeeded`. Yet, the substate commitment already happened. This causes smart contracts able to commit state changes, when the parent caller contract receives zero address (which usually indicates that the execution has failed). This issue only impacts library users with custom `record_external_operation` that returns errors. The issue is patched in release 0.41.1. No known workarounds are available.
- Products
- Not specified
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- Not specified
- CVEs
- CVE-2024-21629
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 6 Nov 2026, 02:46 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
Erroneous handling of `record_external_operation` error return
core-osv · Original sourcePublished 2 Jan 2024, 21:26 UTC
Rust EVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine interpreter. In `rust-evm`, a feature called `record_external_operation` was introduced, allowing library users to record custom gas changes. This feature can have some bogus interactions with the call stack. In particular, during finalization of a `CREATE` or `CREATE2`, in the case that the substack execution happens successfully, `rust-evm` will first commit the substate, and then call `record_external_operation(Write(out_code.len()))`. If `record_external_operation` later fails, this error is returned to the parent call stack, instead of `Succeeded`. Yet, the substate commitment already happened. This causes smart contracts able to commit state changes, when the parent caller contract receives zero address (which usually indicates that the execution has failed). This issue only impacts library users with custom `record_external_operation` that returns errors. The issue is patched in release 0.41.1. No known workarounds are available.
osv:CVE-2024-21629
Complete source record
{
"id": "8066d0eca66a952df781bb91a2dec1e86c7ce687373c2f1d907cc938f1fdae9e",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21629",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "Erroneous handling of `record_external_operation` error return",
"summary": "Rust EVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine interpreter. In `rust-evm`, a feature called `record_external_operation` was introduced, allowing library users to record custom gas changes. This feature can have some bogus interactions with the call stack. In particular, during finalization of a `CREATE` or `CREATE2`, in the case that the substack execution happens successfully, `rust-evm` will first commit the substate, and then call `record_external_operation(Write(out_code.len()))`. If `record_external_operation` later fails, this error is returned to the parent call stack, instead of `Succeeded`. Yet, the substate commitment already happened. This causes smart contracts able to commit state changes, when the parent caller contract receives zero address (which usually indicates that the execution has failed). This issue only impacts library users with custom `record_external_operation` that returns errors. The issue is patched in release 0.41.1. No known workarounds are available.",
"evidence": "osv:CVE-2024-21629",
"products": [],
"severity": "medium",
"structured": {
"id": "CVE-2024-21629",
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-21629",
"GHSA-27wg-99g8-2v4v"
],
"metrics": [
{
"type": "CVSS_V3",
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
}
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"repo": "https://github.com/rust-ethereum/evm",
"type": "GIT",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "d8991ec727ad0fb64fe9957a3cd307387a6701e4"
}
],
"database_specific": {
"extracted_events": [
{
"range": [
{
"fixed": "d8991ec727ad0fb64fe9957a3cd307387a6701e4"
}
],
"source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
}
]
}
}
],
"versions": [
"evm-core-v0.26.1"
],
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2024-21629.json"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:46.300818622Z",
"provider": "osv",
"references": [
"https://github.com/rust-ethereum/evm/blob/release-v041/src/executor/stack/executor.rs#L1012C25-L1012C69",
"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/21xxx/CVE-2024-21629.json",
"https://github.com/rust-ethereum/evm/security/advisories/GHSA-27wg-99g8-2v4v",
"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21629",
"https://github.com/rust-ethereum/evm/commit/d8991ec727ad0fb64fe9957a3cd307387a6701e4",
"https://github.com/rust-ethereum/evm/pull/264"
],
"provider_metadata": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-703"
],
"cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
"unresolved_ranges": [
{
"extracted_events": [
{
"range": [
{
"fixed": "0.41.1"
}
],
"source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
"strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
}
]
}
],
"osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/21xxx/CVE-2024-21629.json"
}
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2024-21629",
"evidence": "/id"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 514406,
"published_at": "2024-01-02T21:26:12.68+00:00"
}