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Informational 19 Bitcoin

descriptor: Add unused(KEY) descriptor

Public commit record

What the developer wrote

Authored by Ava Chow

68/100 · Adequate
descriptor: Add unused(KEY) descriptor

unused() descriptors do not have scriptPubKeys. Instead, the wallet uses
them to store keys without having any scripts to watch for.
✓ Descriptive subject✓ Names a concrete action or component✓ Provides detailed explanatory context
The short version

What changed, and why it matters

This commit adds a new wallet descriptor type called unused(KEY). It lets Bitcoin Core wallets store a key without watching any blockchain addresses for it. The change is a feature addition, not a fix for an active security bug. It includes parsing rules, tests, and a small wallet tweak to skip address labeling for descriptors that do not produce output scripts. There is no evidence in the commit or supplied references of a disclosed vulnerability or exploit.

Recommended action

No immediate security action required. Treat as a normal feature commit. Reviewers may want to verify that HasScripts() is consulted consistently wherever code assumes a descriptor yields scriptPubKeys, and that the unused() descriptor cannot be misused to bypass existing key-derivation or watch-only invariants.

Security signals we found

01

New descriptor parser with explicit rejection of ranged/nested/empty/multiple-key inputs

02

MakeScripts returns empty vector for unused() descriptors

03

HasScripts() virtual added to descriptor interface

04

Wallet label logic guarded by HasScripts() to avoid acting on empty scriptPubKey set

05

No mention of vulnerability, CVE, bug bounty, or security fix in commit message or diff

Risk score

Why this scored 19/100

Our methodology →
Potential impact 2/30
Exploitability 1/25
Stealth signal 1/15
Affected reach 3/15
Confidence 8/10
Evidence quality 4/5
Human-validated context

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