Bitcoin Core v30 Bug Can Delete Files When Migrating Legacy Wallets
A bug in Bitcoin Core v30.0 and v30.1 can delete wallet files during legacy migration, risking fund loss.Summary
Bitcoin Core developers warned users about a critical bug in versions 30.0 and 30.1 that risks fund loss by deleting wallet files during migration. The issue is triggered when the software attempts to migrate an unnamed legacy “wallet.dat” file stored in a custom directory (defined by “-walletdir”) while pruning is enabled. This can cause the cleanup logic to mistakenly delete the entire wallet directory, leading to guaranteed loss of access to funds without an external backup. The bug primarily affects very old wallet setups, not users with hardware wallets or modern software. Bitcoin Core has pulled the affected binaries (30.0 and 30.1) and advised users not to use migration tools until the fixed release, Bitcoin Core 30.2, is available; existing nodes not migrating can continue operating normally. The incident highlights concentration risk, as Bitcoin Core runs about 78% of reachable nodes, meaning even narrowly scoped bugs can have an outsized ecosystem impact.
(Source：Cointelegraph)