Bitcoin Core just changed how it handles security bugs, and it puts a clock on anyone still running an old node.
Until now, a fixed medium or high severity bug stayed quiet until the last affected version reached end of life, which usually meant about a year. That gave node runners time to upgrade before the details came out.
The policy update merged on Oct 22 adds a new category: bugs that are easy to find, including ones an AI can turn up with a simple prompt. For those, the plan is a point release for every maintained version as soon as possible, with the advisory published alongside it. No long wait. The reasoning is simple: if anyone can find the bug in minutes, keeping it secret protects nobody.
The catch is that only v29, v30 and v31 are maintained right now. By our count from the latest Bitnodes snapshot, 6,126 of 21,446 reachable Bitcoin Core nodes, about 29%, still run v28 or older. Those nodes won't get these patches, and the bug details will be public faster than before.
This isn't a $BTC price story. It's a reminder that running a node means updating it. If yours shows v28 or lower, now is a good time to move to a maintained release.
#Bitcoin #BitcoinCore
NFA. DYOR.
Until now, a fixed medium or high severity bug stayed quiet until the last affected version reached end of life, which usually meant about a year. That gave node runners time to upgrade before the details came out.
The policy update merged on Oct 22 adds a new category: bugs that are easy to find, including ones an AI can turn up with a simple prompt. For those, the plan is a point release for every maintained version as soon as possible, with the advisory published alongside it. No long wait. The reasoning is simple: if anyone can find the bug in minutes, keeping it secret protects nobody.
The catch is that only v29, v30 and v31 are maintained right now. By our count from the latest Bitnodes snapshot, 6,126 of 21,446 reachable Bitcoin Core nodes, about 29%, still run v28 or older. Those nodes won't get these patches, and the bug details will be public faster than before.
This isn't a $BTC price story. It's a reminder that running a node means updating it. If yours shows v28 or lower, now is a good time to move to a maintained release.
#Bitcoin #BitcoinCore
NFA. DYOR.