---
eip: 3455
title: SUDO Opcode
description: A new opcode is introduced to allow calling from an arbitrary sender address.
author: William Morriss (@wjmelements), Baptiste Vauthey (@thabaptiser)
discussions-to: https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/eip-3455-sudo-opcode/5860
status: Draft
type: Standards Track
category: Core
created: 2021-04-01
---

## Abstract
A new opcode, `SUDO`, is introduced with the same parameters as `CALL`, plus another parameter to specify the sender address.

## Motivation
There are many use cases for being able to set the sender.

Many tokens are stuck irretrievably because nobody has the key for the owner address.
In particular, at address zero there is approximately 17 billion USD in tokens and ether, according to etherscan.
With `SUDO`, anyone could free that value, leading to an economic boom that would end poverty and world hunger.
Instead it is sitting there idle like the gold in Fort Knox.
`SUDO` fixes this.

It is a common mistake to send [ERC-20](./eip-20.md) tokens to the token address instead of the intended recipient.
This happens because users paste the token address into the recipient fields.
Currently there is no way to recover these tokens.
`SUDO` fixes this.

Many scammers have fraudulently received tokens and ETH via trust-trading.
Their victims currently have no way to recover their funds.
`SUDO` fixes this.

Large amounts of users have accidentally locked up tokens and ether by losing their private keys.
This is inefficient and provides a bad user experience.
To accommodate new and inexperienced users, there needs to be a way to recover funds after the private key has been lost.
`SUDO` fixes this.

Finally, there are many tokens and ether sitting in smart contracts locked due to a bug.
We could finally close EIP issue #156.
We cannot currently reclaim ether from stuck accounts.
`SUDO` fixes this.

## Specification
Adds a new opcode (`SUDO`) at `0xf8`.
`SUDO` pops 8 parameters from the stack.
Besides the sender parameter, the parameters shall match `CALL`.

1. Gas: Integer; Maximum gas allowance for message call, safely using current gas counter if the counter is lower
2. Sender: Address, truncated to lower 40 bytes; Sets `CALLER` inside the call frame
3. To: Address, truncated to lower 40 bytes; sets `ADDRESS`
4. Value: Integer, raises exception amount specified is less than the value in Sender account; transferred with call to recipient balance, sets `CALLVALUE`
5. InStart: Integer; beginning of memory to use for `CALLDATA`
6. InSize: Integer; length of memory to use for `CALLDATA`
7. OutStart: Integer; beginning of memory to replace with `RETURNDATA`
8. OutSize: Integer; maximum `RETURNDATA` to place in memory

Following execution, `SUDO` pushes a result value to the stack, indicating success or failure.
If the call ended with `STOP`, `RETURN`, or `SELFDESTRUCT`, `1` is pushed.
If the call ended with `REVERT`, `INVALID`, or an EVM assertion, `0` is pushed.

## Rationale
The `GAS` parameter is first so that callers can tediously compute how much of their remaining gas to send at the last possible moment.
The remaining parameters inherited from `CALL` are in the same order, with sender inserted between.


## Security Considerations
It will be fine.

## Copyright
Copyright and related rights waived via [CC0](../LICENSE.md).