bitcoinj <0.17.1 ScriptExecution spends bug allows arbitrary key pair spoofing
CVE-2026-44714 Published on May 15, 2026

bitcoinj: ScriptExecution P2PKH/P2WPKH Verification Bypass
The bitcoinj library is a Java implementation of the Bitcoin protocol. Prior to 0.17.1, ScriptExecution.correctlySpends() contains two fast-path verification bugs for standard P2PKH and native P2WPKH spends in core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/script/ScriptExecution.java. In both branches, bitcoinj verifies an attacker-controlled signature/public-key pair but fails to verify that the public key is the one committed to by the output being spent. As a result, any attacker keypair can satisfy bitcoinj's local verification for arbitrary P2PKH and P2WPKH outputs. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.17.1.

NVD

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-44714 is exploitable with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality, a high impact on integrity, and no impact on availability.

Attack Vector:
NETWORK
Attack Complexity:
LOW
Privileges Required:
NONE
User Interaction:
NONE
Scope:
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality Impact:
NONE
Integrity Impact:
HIGH
Availability Impact:
NONE

Weakness Type

Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature

The software does not verify, or incorrectly verifies, the cryptographic signature for data.


Affected Versions

bitcoinj Version < 0.17.1 is affected by CVE-2026-44714

Exploit Probability

EPSS
0.27%
Percentile
18.35%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.