# CVE-2024-21629: Erroneous handling of `record_external_operation` error return

> Attackers can force state commitments despite failed contract creation if custom error handling is implemented, affecting Rust EVM library users.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 2 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 17 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-27wg-99g8-2v4v

## What is CVE-2024-21629?

CVE-2024-21629 is a medium-severity vulnerability in rust-ethereum evm, published on 2 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-703 (Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21629?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including evm. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `evm` | crates.io | All versions | 0.41.1 |
| `evm` | crates.io | All versions | 0.41.1 |

Products: Evm Project Evm.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21629?

Upgrade evm to 0.41.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2024-21629 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21629 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in rust-ethereum evm

- [CVE-2021-41153](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41153/): Specification non-compliance in JUMPI (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2021-29511](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29511/): Memory over-allocation in evm crate (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-39354](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39354/): evm has incorrect is_static parameter for custom stateful precompiles (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-21629 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21629 is a medium-severity vulnerability in rust-ethereum evm, published on 2 Jan 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21629 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- evm (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.41.1
- evm (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.41.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21629/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21629/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21629
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21629
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21629

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21629/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.