HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2021-01-26

CVE-2021-3195

bitcoin bitcoin_core Security Advisory (CVE-2021-3195)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-3195 impacting bitcoin bitcoin_core. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
bitcoind in Bitcoin Core through 0.21.0 can create a new file in an arbitrary directory (e.g., outside the ~/.bitcoin directory) via a dumpwallet RPC call. NOTE: this reportedly does not violate the security model of Bitcoin Core, but can violate the security model of a fork that has implemented dumpwallet restrictions

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product bitcoin / bitcoin_core
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-20

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-3195 impacting bitcoin bitcoin_core.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-3195.yaml
id: cve-2021-3195

info:
  name: bitcoin bitcoin_core - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-3195 affecting bitcoin bitcoin_core.
    Evaluation: bitcoind in Bitcoin Core through 0.21.0 can create a new file in an arbitrary directory (e.g., outside the ~/.bitcoin directory) via a dumpwallet RPC ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-3195
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2021-3195
    cwe-id: CWE-20
  tags: cve,cve-2021-3195,bitcoin,bitcoin_core,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "bitcoin_core"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-3195.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-3195
# Target: bitcoin bitcoin_core | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-3195 (bitcoin bitcoin_core)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against bitcoin bitcoin_core scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-3195.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-3195
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install bitcoin_core 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade bitcoin_core 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update bitcoin_core

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i bitcoin_core 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i bitcoin_core

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-3195 in bitcoin bitcoin_core?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update bitcoin bitcoin_core packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-3195?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-3195?

CVE-2021-3195 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-3195
Weakness CWE-20
Vendor bitcoin
Product bitcoin_core
Published 2021-01-26
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N