AST import cause memory difference with metadata-hash

[Subway2023]

Description

When I compile a specific Solidity program and execute it using --import-ast, there is a situation of inconsistent memory. However, if I add --metadata-hash none, this issue does not occur.

Why does metadata-hash affect memory? I understand that metadata-hash can affect the length of the generated bytecode 14986

Environment

• Compiler version: 0.8.25
• Target EVM version (as per compiler settings): No restrictions
• Framework/IDE (e.g. Truffle or Remix): Command-line
• EVM execution environment / backend / blockchain client: None
• Operating system: Linux

Steps to Reproduce

contract D {
  function test0() external pure {}
}

contract C {
  function test0() external pure {}
  function test1() external returns(bytes memory){
      function() external x=(new D()).test0;
      bytes memory a = abi.encodeCall(this.test0, ());
      bytes memory b = abi.encodeCall(this.test0, ());
      return b;
      
  }
}

1. Compile from external AST

solc C.sol --combined-json ast >> C.json

solc  --bin-runtime --import-ast C.json

608060405234801561000f575f80fd5b5060043610610034575f3560e01c80636b59084d1461003857806377ff24f414610056575b5f80fd5b610040610060565b60405161004d91906101ff565b60405180910390f35b61005e610181565b005b60605f8060405161007090610183565b604051809103905ff080158015610089573d5f803e3d5ffd5b5073ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff166377ff24f4915091505f3073ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff166377ff24f4604051602401604051602081830303815290604052915060e01b6020820180517bffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff838183161783525050505090505f3073ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff166377ff24f4604051602401604051602081830303815290604052915060e01b6020820180517bffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff838183161783525050505090508094505050505090565b565b60848061022083390190565b5f81519050919050565b5f82825260208201905092915050565b8281835e5f83830152505050565b5f601f19601f8301169050919050565b5f6101d18261018f565b6101db8185610199565b93506101eb8185602086016101a9565b6101f4816101b7565b840191505092915050565b5f6020820190508181035f83015261021781846101c7565b90509291505056fe6080604052348015600e575f80fd5b50606a80601a5f395ff3fe6080604052348015600e575f80fd5b50600436106026575f3560e01c806377ff24f414602a575b5f80fd5b60306032565b005b56fea26469706673582212204b8c026b1795a1c7c31033b9444c28b6196210edbbfc81e3ed4b40636d3fb34764736f6c63430008190033a264697066735822122065925bf38bb1e1dba92583de7df6ef487adf74d09ebe20a8452fdad0cf1601ec64736f6c63430008190033

2. Compile from external AST without metadata-hash

solc C.sol --combined-json ast >> C.json

solc  --bin-runtime --import-ast C.json --metadata-hash none

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

3. Compile normaly

solc  --bin-runtime C.sol 

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

The bytecode is the same as in 2.

4. Run in EVM

go-ethereum-1.13.11/build/bin/evm --debug --json --code **codeFrom123**   --input 6b59084d run

6b59084d: the selector of function test1

5. Memory result

Compile from external AST

{'268': '0', '64': '200', '128': '4', '160': '54276030033224116852338043474313948546607513718074119495684600770185440275031', '164': '4', '196': '54276030029323798630533712249253614462956987828921745670694911468889239130163', '200': '32', '232': '4'}"

Compile normally

{'200': '32', '232': '4', '268': '0', '64': '200', '128': '4', '160': '54276030033224116852338043474313948546607513718074119495684600770185440275031', '164': '4', '196': '54276030029323798630533712247792335747986101110151806616214131656497861492736'}"

Memory data in 196 are different.