Bitcoin Core Developer Dismisses Involvement in CVE List Labeling
Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr has clarified his stance on the inclusion of inscriptions on the U.S. National Vulnerability Database’s (NVD) Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVE) list. He denied any role in labeling it a cybersecurity risk and distanced himself from its addition.
In a social media post dated December 6, Dashjr expressed his criticism of inscriptions, particularly within the Ordinals protocol and BRC-20 tokens, highlighting their exploitation of a vulnerability in Bitcoin Core. He referred to the process as “spamming the blockchain.” While he voiced his concerns about Ordinals, Dashjr asserted that he was not responsible for their integration into the CVE list.
Update on Inscriptions Severity Score from the U.S. National Vulnerability Database
On December 11, the U.S. National Vulnerability Database adjusted the listing for inscriptions, assigning a base severity score of “5.3 Medium.” This score typically suggests limited network access or the difficulty of executing denial-of-service attacks. Dashjr pointed out that the long-term impact might be underestimated, suggesting that classifying the availability impact as “High” would yield a CVSS base score of 7.5.
Emphasizing the potential blockchain bloat’s long-term effects, Dashjr argued that the vulnerability’s low availability impact on the Bitcoin network might be downplayed. The ongoing debate on social media centers around whether Bitcoin inscriptions are merely “spamming the network.” Advocates of Ordinals, such as Taproot Wizards co-founder Udi Wertheimer, assert their indispensability for Bitcoin’s next major adoption wave and revenue generation.
Ongoing Discourse and Potential Effects of Ordinals
Data from mempool.space reveals a significant number of unconfirmed transactions, surpassing 275,000, with average medium-priority transaction costs rising from approximately $1.50 to around $14. If a patch to address the so-called inscriptions bug is implemented, it could potentially restrict future Ordinals inscriptions on the network.
Dashjr highlighted that the vulnerability’s long-term impact might exceed the current score, particularly in relation to blockchain bloat.
The ongoing discourse surrounding Bitcoin inscriptions reflects the nuanced nature of the debate and the dynamic landscape of blockchain technologies. It highlights the challenges in finding the right balance between innovation and network stability. As the Bitcoin community grapples with these issues, ensuring a secure and efficient blockchain remains a top priority for developers, advocates, and users alike.