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CVE-2021-3401

Status: ModifiedCritical (9.8)—
Severity9.8Critical · CVSS 3.1
Exploitation probability10 %higher than 96% of CVEs
Active exploitationNonot in the CISA catalog
Public exploitNot knownno public code found

Bitcoin Core before 0.19.0 might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when another application unsafely passes the -platformpluginpath argument to the bitcoin-qt program, as demonstrated by an x-scheme-handler/bitcoin handler for a .desktop file or a web browser. NOTE: the discoverer states "I believe that this vulnerability cannot actually be exploited."

CVSS

Base score
9.8
Version
3.1
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
10 %
Percentile among all scored CVEs
96
Score date
10/26/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

Bitcoin — Bitcoin

CWEs

References

Show 4 references

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2021-3401",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 7.5,
          "accessVector": "NETWORK",
          "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "confidentialityImpact": "PARTIAL"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 6.4,
        "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 10,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 9.8,
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "impactScore": 5.9,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2021-02-04T05:15:13.037",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://achow101.com/2021/02/0.18-uri-vuln",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/16578",
      "tags": [
        "Patch",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://achow101.com/2021/02/0.18-uri-vuln",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/16578",
      "tags": [
        "Patch",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-88"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Bitcoin Core before 0.19.0 might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when another application unsafely passes the -platformpluginpath argument to the bitcoin-qt program, as demonstrated by an x-scheme-handler/bitcoin handler for a .desktop file or a web browser. NOTE: the discoverer states \"I believe that this vulnerability cannot actually be exploited.\""
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "Bitcoin Core versiones anteriores a 0.19.0, podría permitir a atacantes remotos ejecutar código arbitrario cuando otra aplicación pasa de manera no segura el argumento -platformpluginpath al programa bitcoin-qt, como es demostrado por un manejador de esquema x/controlador de bitcoin para un archivo de escritorio o navegador web. NOTA: el descubridor afirma \"Creo que esta vulnerabilidad no se puede explotar\""
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-17T04:05:01.643",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:bitcoin:bitcoin:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "F3486D33-9697-49A9-9C51-B0B75B8AFD8A",
              "versionEndExcluding": "0.19.0"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}