Bitcoin Core 32.0 is Coming…What Changes for Speed and Security?

▲ Bitcoin (BTC) ©Dasol Ko

Bitcoin Core, the core software for Bitcoin (BTC), is preparing for a major update that will increase block verification speed and address security vulnerabilities. The new version, Bitcoin Core 32.0, has entered its final testing phase, with developers aiming for an official release on October 10.

According to cryptocurrency media outlet Decrypt on September 16 (local time), Bitcoin Core 32.0 entered Release Candidate testing on Monday. Bitcoin Core is software that allows users to independently verify Bitcoin transactions and blocks, and this update primarily affects node operators and developers who create wallets and related services. While the official version is targeted for release on October 10, the schedule may change depending on testing results.

In terms of performance, a method of reading database information in parallel has been introduced, which will speed up some block verifications. However, this change does not increase the actual block creation speed of the Bitcoin network. Four wallet-related commands will also be changed to use a new format by default for exchanging partially signed transactions between wallets and signing devices. The existing format can still be used if requested separately by an application.

Security improvements are also key. The update includes a patch that blocks a vulnerability that allowed commands to be executed on a node computer using manipulated wallet names. This issue affected non-Windows operating systems where authenticated users could create wallets and the 'walletnotify' function was configured to execute commands when wallet transactions occurred. A problem where excessive memory could be used during the request processing of connected applications on the new HTTP server has also been fixed.

Matthew Zipkin, a Bitcoin Core contributor, discovered the potential for memory exhaustion during the process of inspecting the new HTTP server. Initially, the risk was assessed as limited to authenticated clients, but during the patch review process, it was further confirmed that unauthenticated requests could also increase memory usage if the REST interface was enabled. Before the patch fix, 16 unauthenticated connections caused approximately 3.2GB of memory increase over 90 seconds, but after the fix, this decreased to about 3MB. This patch was merged into Bitcoin Core 32.0 on September 5.

Zipkin explained that he discovered the issue while auditing the new HTTP server using the AI model Kimi K3, which is also used by the Bitcoin Red Team to find vulnerabilities in Bitcoin software. Recently, other Bitcoin-related developers have also been successively fixing separate security vulnerabilities. Hardware wallet provider BitBox patched two critical firmware vulnerabilities in August and stated that no evidence of actual exploitation was found. Core Lightning payment software developers are also informing node operators of confirmed vulnerabilities and working on fixes.

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