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Last updated: February 06, 2026

SCWE-032: Dependency on Block Gas Limit

Stable Version v1.0

This content is in the version-(v1.0) and still under active development, so it is subject to change any time (e.g. structure, IDs, content, URLs, etc.).

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Description

Dependency on block gas limit refers to the reliance on the Ethereum block gas limit for contract operations, which can lead to: - Failed transactions if gas limits are exceeded. - Exploitation of vulnerabilities in gas-intensive operations. - Loss of funds or data.

Remediation

  • Optimize gas usage: Minimize gas consumption in contract operations.
  • Avoid unbounded loops: Ensure loops have a fixed upper limit.
  • Test thoroughly: Conduct extensive testing to ensure operations stay within gas limits.

Examples

  • Gas-Intensive Operation- Storing Large Dynamic Data 
    pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

contract GasIntensive {
    uint[] public largeArray;

    function appendData(uint[] memory data) public {
        for (uint i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
            largeArray.push(data[i]); // Storing a large dataset in a single transaction
        }
    }
}
  • This contract appends large arrays in a single transaction, which fails when the block gas limit is exceeded.

  • Attackers could exploit this by forcing high gas consumption and causing DoS attacks (e.g., filling storage inefficiently).

  • Optimized Gas Usage- Chunk Processing & Gas Efficiency 

    pragma solidity ^0.8.0;

contract GasOptimized {
    uint[] public largeArray;

    function appendData(uint[] memory data, uint start, uint end) public {
        require(end <= data.length, "Invalid range");
        for (uint i = start; i < end; i++) {
            largeArray.push(data[i]); // Process in controlled batches
        }
    }
}

Why is this better? - The start and end parameters allow batch processing instead of handling everything in a single call. - Prevents hitting the block gas limit by splitting work across multiple transactions.