CVE-2025-52884Network attack vector

Invalid commitment acceptance via unchecked zero beacon root

Published Jun 24, 2025 · Updated Jun 24, 2025

Improper commitment validation in Steel for RISC Zero Ethereum before 2.1.1 allows remote attackers to make applications accept a nonexistent chain block. Steel.validateCommitment compares an attacker-supplied zero digest with the zero result returned after Beacon.parentBlockRoot fails for an invalid timestamp instead of rejecting the lookup. Compromising application soundness requires a separate flaw or misuse, such as failing to verify the zkVM proof; correctly written applications are not at risk.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper commitment validation in Steel for RISC Zero Ethereum before 2.1.1 allows remote attackers to make applications accept a nonexistent chain block. Steel.validateCommitment compares an attacker-supplied zero digest with the zero result returned after Beacon.parentBlockRoot fails for an invalid timestamp instead of rejecting the lookup. Compromising application soundness requires a separate flaw or misuse, such as failing to verify the zkVM proof; correctly written applications are not at risk.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-52884
Published
Jun 24, 2025
Updated
Jun 24, 2025
Vendor
RISC Zero
Product
RISC Zero Ethereum
Classifications
CWE-159
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 24, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

RISC Zero · RISC Zero Ethereumversion=< 2.1.1

Published CVSS scores

1.7GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS: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

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-159Improper Handling of Invalid Use of Special Elements

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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