CVE-2023-33297Known exploitationPublic exploitNetwork attack vector

CPU denial of service via inventory queue draining

Published May 22, 2023 · Updated Jan 28, 2025

Denial of service in Bitcoin Core before 24.1 allows remote attackers to consume CPU through peer-to-peer inventory traffic. PeerManagerImpl::SendMessages drains m_tx_inventory_to_send at a fixed, low per-pass limit, allowing the queue to grow faster than it is processed. A network peer needs no authentication; on non-debug builds, sustained queue growth can monopolize a CPU core and delay transaction and block processing.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Bitcoin Core before 24.1 allows remote attackers to consume CPU through peer-to-peer inventory traffic. PeerManagerImpl::SendMessages drains m_tx_inventory_to_send at a fixed, low per-pass limit, allowing the queue to grow faster than it is processed. A network peer needs no authentication; on non-debug builds, sustained queue growth can monopolize a CPU core and delay transaction and block processing.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-33297
Published
May 22, 2023
Updated
Jan 28, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 22, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 28, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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