9.8

CVE-2021-3401: bitcoin

Modified
Published 04-02-2021Last modified 03-08-2024

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2021-3401 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in bitcoin. EPSS estimates a 10.92% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 95.8% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Prioritisesevere

Severe, CVSS 9.8 (NVD); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 11% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
9.8/10
010
Critical · v3.1 (NVD)
EPSS score
10.92%
0%100%
Medium · +0.44 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

  1. 04-02-2021
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 03-08-2024
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

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 metrics

2 scores · 1 source · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

10.92%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

96%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Increase +0.44 pp

From 10.48% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Bitcoin1 product

1 vendor · 1 product

References

2 links