CVE-2016-10724
CVE-2016-10724 is a high-severity vulnerability in Bitcoin Bitcoin Core with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-400.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
- CVSS v2: 7.8
- EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-400
- Affected product: Bitcoin Bitcoin Core
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
Bitcoin Core before v0.13.0 allows denial of service (memory exhaustion) triggered by the remote network alert system (deprecated since Q1 2016) if an attacker can sign a message with a certain private key that had been known by unintended actors, because of an infinitely sized map. This affects other uses of the codebase, such as Bitcoin Knots before v0.13.0.knots20160814 and many altcoins.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2016-10724?
- Bitcoin Core before v0.13.0 allows denial of service (memory exhaustion) triggered by the remote network alert system (deprecated since Q1 2016) if an attacker can sign a message with a certain private key that had been known by unintended actors, because of an infinitely sized map. This affects other uses of the codebase, such as Bitcoin Knots before v0.13.0.knots20160814 and many altcoins.
- How severe is CVE-2016-10724?
- CVE-2016-10724 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2016-10724 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2016-10724?
- CVE-2016-10724 primarily affects Bitcoin Bitcoin Core. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2016-10724?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2016-10724 published?
- CVE-2016-10724 was published on 2018-07-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://bitcoin.org/en/posts/alert-key-and-vulnerabilities-disclosure
- https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Common_Vulnerabilities_and_Exposures
- https://github.com/JinBean/CVE-Extension
- https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2018-July/016189.html
Affected products (3)
- cpe:2.3:a:bitcoin:bitcoin_core:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:bitcoin:bitcoin-qt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:bitcoin:bitcoind:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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