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VulnerabilityPublished

CVE-2024-52917: Bitcoin Core · Unthrottled Resource Allocation

Source CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium · fixed in 22.0 : update affected systems when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
6.5Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 20% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 22.0
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 18 Nov 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-52917, organizations should upgrade Bitcoin Core to version 22.0 or later, where the vulnerability is addressed. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, disabling UPnP functionality within Bitcoin Core can reduce exposure to malicious M-SEARCH replies. Network administrators should implement network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict UPnP traffic and prevent exposure of UPnP services to untrusted networks, especially the internet. Monitoring network traffic for unusual or large M-SEARCH responses can help detect attempted exploitation. Additionally, applying resource limits at the operating system level (e.g., memory usage caps for the Bitcoin Core process) can reduce the impact of resource exhaustion attacks. Regularly auditing and updating all networked devices to minimize the presence of rogue UPnP devices is also recommended. Finally, organizations should stay informed about updates and patches from Bitcoin Core maintainers and apply them promptly.

Description

Bitcoin Core before 22.0 has a miniupnp infinite loop in which it allocates memory on the basis of random data received over the network, e.g., large M-SEARCH replies from a fake UPnP device.

References

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