CVE-2025-54605 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Bitcoin Core versions up to 29.0. This flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to trigger excessive consumption of system resources such as CPU, memory, or network bandwidth, potentially leading to denial of service (DoS) conditions. The vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity but impacts availability by exhausting resources required for normal node operation. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.5 (high), reflecting the network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality or integrity impact (C:N/I:N), and high availability impact (A:H). Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild and no patches are currently linked, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to Bitcoin Core nodes, which are critical components of the Bitcoin network infrastructure. Attackers could exploit this to disrupt node operations, degrade network reliability, or cause service outages for dependent applications. Given Bitcoin Core's widespread use in cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, and financial services, this vulnerability demands prompt attention and mitigation.

For European organizations, especially those involved in cryptocurrency trading, blockchain infrastructure, and financial services, this vulnerability could lead to significant service disruptions. Uncontrolled resource consumption can cause Bitcoin nodes to become unresponsive or crash, impacting transaction validation and network participation. This may result in delayed or failed transactions, loss of customer trust, and potential financial losses. Additionally, organizations running Bitcoin Core nodes as part of their infrastructure could face increased operational costs due to resource exhaustion and recovery efforts. The impact extends to any service relying on Bitcoin Core for blockchain data, including payment processors and custodial wallets. The availability impact is critical in environments requiring high uptime and reliability. Disruptions could also have cascading effects on broader blockchain ecosystems and related financial markets within Europe.

Organizations should implement proactive resource monitoring and rate limiting on Bitcoin Core nodes to detect and prevent abnormal resource usage patterns. Deploying network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help identify and block suspicious traffic targeting Bitcoin nodes. It is essential to stay informed about official Bitcoin Core updates and apply patches promptly once released. In the absence of patches, consider isolating Bitcoin Core nodes in segmented network zones with strict access controls to minimize exposure. Employ redundancy by running multiple nodes to ensure service continuity if one node becomes compromised. Regularly audit node configurations and logs to detect early signs of exploitation. Additionally, collaborating with the Bitcoin community and security researchers can provide timely threat intelligence and mitigation strategies.